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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/28926015">Invulnerable</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/IronMarshmallow/pseuds/IronMarshmallow'>IronMarshmallow</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Miraculous Ladybug</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Badass Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug, Evil Lila Rossi, F/M, Marichat | Adrien Agreste as Chat Noir/Marinette Dupain-Cheng</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-01-23</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-02-07</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-13 13:20:49</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Graphic Depictions Of Violence</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>9</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>103,855</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/28926015</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/IronMarshmallow/pseuds/IronMarshmallow</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>With Fu gone and her allies compromised, Ladybug enacts a dangerous plan to draw Hawk Moth out by putting Marinette in the crosshairs.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir/Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug, Alya Césaire/Nino Lahiffe</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>114</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>392</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Chapter 1</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <h4> NOTE: This fic is set after Miracle Queen but before the NY Special. Also, minor AU - the expulsion in Ladybug was never reversed </h4><p>Back and forth. Back and forth. The motion of the rolling pin in her hands had a hypnotic quality to it. For an instant, Marinette could forget the heat of the oven radiating from behind her, or the plastic smiles on her parents' faces. She could forget that single moment, which shone hideously like a dark star above all the others. Her strangled, desperate question, "Adrien?" And the quiet, disappointed look in his eyes as they all stood in the hallway around her and her locker.</p><p>Before she'd been able to truly process the new reality, she'd had to run away to battle a fake Ladybug - she was getting heartily sick of imposters - confronted Hawk Moth not once but twice, culminating in the loss of her mentor and the new responsibility of now guarding the miracle box in a city that was growing increasingly more dangerous as Hawk Moth slowly clawed away at her defenses.</p><p>Back and forth. Back and forth.</p><p>"That's enough ma petite," said her dad.</p><p>His large, warm, calloused hands gently wrapping around her smaller, softer ones pulled her back to the present.</p><p>"Papa?"</p><p>"The dough's ready to fold," he said. The sympathy in his eyes was painful. "And hurry, before the butter melts. We want to make sure the crust turns nice and flaky."</p><p>She nodded jerkily. "Of course, Papa."</p><p>Marinette busied herself pressing the dough into the pie plate and carefully crinkling the edges. She checked the timer on the oven. She'd just made it. She slid the two pies out of the oven and slid two new ones in.</p><p>"Let cool for five minutes and then remove from the plate and onto the rack," her father said absently as he busied himself dusting  cookies with sugar.</p><p>The lecturing from her father was a little grating since she'd been baking since before she could walk. But she was careful not to say or do anything that could turn into an argument. In the days following the battle with Miracle Queen, the tension in the house had remained at a simmer. The shame from having been expelled was still there. It tainted every interaction she had with her parents, her friends - so much so that she'd taken to shutting herself in her room and avoiding them as much as possible.</p><p>Once the baking was done for the day, Marinette gave her father a kiss on the cheek and excused herself to retreat to her room. The trap door closed, sealing her in silence.</p><p>#</p><p>"It can't go on like this."</p><p>Tikki paused in her munching of another macaron. "What can't go on, Marinette?"</p><p>Marinette kept her gaze fixed on her sketchpad. The miracle box sat in the corner, unassuming. "The end of the school year's approaching, and we're no closer to finding out Hawk Moth's identity. All we ever do is react."</p><p>Tikki renewed her munching, only more thoughtfully. "Yes, that is true."</p><p>"I've been thinking," she went on, "we need a plan."</p><p>"Do you... have a plan, Marinette?"</p><p>"Kind of." The details were still hazy, but it'd been something she'd been thinking about ever since the loss of Master Fu. Hawk Moth had anticipated that she would go to the guardian for help not once, but twice. The first time, he'd sent Vanisher to tail her, and it'd only been a bit of luck and a sixth sense that had enabled her to escape. But as Hawk Moth had proven, she only had to screw up once. That was the way it was with the akumas too. Hawk Moth didn't seem to have a timetable, but he didn't need one. He had years - decades even to get her miraculous. The more she thought about it, the more a sense of foreboding grew in her heart. If something didn't change, she would lose.</p><p>For the most part, Hawk Moth was content to throw akumas at her at random, but the more she thought about it, the more it seemed that he did have a plan. He was biding his time, planning new and dangerous ways to attack. And now he'd struck at her in a way that had made her feel exposed - both by gaining Chloé's allegiance and also by driving away Master Fu.</p><p>She'd always felt that her home had been a safe haven from the craziness of her superhero life, but now, sometimes, it was starting to feel like a prison. Would there come a day when she would just... give up? A day she might not fight hard enough, work fast enough - a day where she'd hesitate to give it her all, the collected fatigue over months and years eroding her resolve to keep Paris safe little by little.</p><p>"Tikki? How do your powers work?"</p><p>Another pause in the munching. Marinette was pretty sure that was Tikki's third macaron in as many minutes. Where did the tiny little creatures put it all?</p><p>"I don't know how to answer that, Marinette," came Tikki's reply. "I've just always had these powers. They're part of who I am."</p><p>"Yes, but, you're the kwami of creation. What does that mean? Can you-" she struggled to put it into words. "can you create anything?" </p><p>"Well, yes," said Tikki. "I create all kinds of things all the time - whenever you use your lucky charm."</p><p>"Yes, but that's kind of limited, isn't it? I mean, surely if you're the kwami of creation, you can do more than just create things like that." She reflected on the many strange and often quixotic objects that came out of her miraculous power.</p><p>Tikki sighed and floated up to Marinette so they were eye-level. "You're both right and wrong. The lucky charm is more powerful than you realize. I don't just create an object for you, Marinette. I create an opportunity. The object is just the nudge you need to capitalize on it."</p><p>She thought about that for a second. "An opportunity... to succeed?"</p><p>Tikki nodded solemnly. "I am the kwami of creation. I can create anything without limit. I can create planets, stars - even universes. An opportunity is nothing."</p><p>Marinette's eyes had grown round like saucers at the very idea. But then she thought back to Cat Blanc, and the power that he'd wielded. At the end, his power too had expanded to become cosmic in scale. "But... I can't do any of that, can I?"</p><p>Tikki shook her head. "No, and you should be thankful you can't, Marinette. Those are not powers that mortals should be wielding. That's why we have to stop Hawk Moth. He'll destroy everything in his quest for ultimate power. He doesn't understand the consequences, nor will he listen to reason."</p><p>"all this time," she began, ordering her thoughts, "he's been trying to get my miraculous. Every time he sends out an akuma, I'm forced to respond. That means he knows where and when I'll be. That's how he was able to get to Master Fu."</p><p>Tikki floated forward and put a tiny hand on her shoulder. "It's not your fault."</p><p>"I know," she replied, startling Tikki. She tapped her head. "Up here." She then tapped her heart. "But it still hurts here. I'm not perfect. There's still so much for me to learn." She looked down at her fingers, which were twisting the cap on her pen reflexively. "I don't have time to learn, Tikki. Hawk Moth - he's not going to give me that time. I don't have years. I don't even know if I have months."</p><p>"You don't know that, Marinette." Tikki's voice was the right mix of plaintive and encouraging. On any other day, she would have been uplifted, but not today.</p><p>"I'm the guardian of the miraculous now. I can't take that chance." her gazed turned upward to the bright blue sky beyond. "The attack that defeats me could come at any time. Tikki, how do I get stronger? How do I become like Master Fu and Hawk Moth? How can I use my miraculous multiple times?"</p><p>"You have to mature," said Tikki. "I'm sorry, Marinette. There's no shortcuts. Hawk Moth must have had the butterfly miraculous for many years. That's the only way he could have matured to handle its power."</p><p>Time. Marinette latched onto that idea. "How do I get more time? Tikki? Can I use the snake miraculous-"</p><p>"No!" Tikki exclaimed, floating away, now agitated. "There are no shortcuts, Marinette. Don't look for them. That's probably what happened to Hawk Moth. He pushed and pushed, doing things he wasn't supposed to until he stopped listening to his kwami altogether."</p><p>Her eyes softened. "I'll never stop listening to you, Tikki. You're my best friend. sometimes, I feel like you're my only friend." She reached out a hand and Tikki settled on it, wrapping one of hers around Marinette's finger. "But I need you to help me find a solution. Nothing bad or wrong, but we just can't keep doing what we've been doing and expecting things to change. Paris is depending on us. And depending on what Hawk Moth's wish is, maybe even the whole world. And now that all the miraculous holders have been outed...."</p><p>"There is one thing you can do, Marinette," said Tikki thoughtfully. "You could learn to fight."</p><p>Marinette snorted. She couldn't help it. That must have been a joke. "I already know how to fight, Tikki. I've been fighting for nearly two years now."</p><p>"I meant you could learn to fight as Marinette."</p><p>She opened her mouth, a sarcastic response on her lips before pausing. Tikki was dead serious. "What - why?"</p><p>"The miraculous enhances your powers," Tikki explained. "The faster and stronger you are as Marinette, the faster and stronger you'll be as Ladybug."</p><p>"Wait - what does that mean?" But the meaning and its implications were taking shape in her mind without further prompting from her kwami.</p><p>She'd never thought about it, but in hindsight it seemed blindingly obvious. Many of the akumatized victims she fought were faster or stronger than her. Weirdly, she'd assumed that the butterfly miraculous was simply more powerful than hers. But obviously that wasn't true.</p><p>"How - how much stronger?"</p><p>Tikki unfolded a pair of tiny spectacles and perched them on her face before launching into a long and complicated explanation. "...and so if you take the integral of delta y subtracted by the cube root of time squared multiplied by mass, you'll get the factor increase in output potential."</p><p>Marinette's scratched her head. "That's... a lot, right?"</p><p>Tikki nodded solemnly. "Yup."</p><p>#</p><p>Adrien handed in his exam paper to Ms. Bustier and left the exam hall. Outside, Nino and Alya were hanging around waiting along with Lila. He still had to suppress a double-take at Lila's presence. She'd inserted herself into his life so smoothly that sometimes it was hard to remember that it would've been and should've been Marinette standing there.</p><p>"Hi guys," he said.</p><p>"Yo, dude. How'd you think you did?"</p><p>"Pretty good," he said. Of course, for him, it was either an A or a fail as far as his father was concerned. "I assume you either aced or bombed it given that you were the first one to hand in your exam paper."</p><p>"Aced, dude," said Nino, throwing an arm around his girl. "Me and Als here did some serious studying for this exam."</p><p>"I'm sure it was all studying," added Lila playfully. She gave Adrien a wink.</p><p>He smiled despite himself. He'd tried to keep his distance from her; especially after she'd gotten Marinette expelled, but it'd been impossible. First, she'd somehow inserted herself into his photo shoots, and second she was sweet and easy to talk to. Part of him feared deep down that it was all an act, and yet, when looking at her soft, earnest expression, it was hard to believe that she could be all fake. At least part of her had to be sincere. If he worked to bring out the sincere parts, maybe she could change. Being a hero meant more than just beating up akuma victims. Besides, he was intimately familiar with loneliness. He wouldn't do that to someone else, and that's what would happen if he accused her of lying.</p><p>No, it was better to take a softer approach. To show her a better way.</p><p>"I'm so sorry," Lila was saying to Alya. "I know she was a friend of yours. If I'd known it would've put everyone at risk of being akumatized, I never would've done it. I wanted us to all be friends."</p><p>Lila's words brought Adrien back to the present, and back to the topic of Marinette.</p><p>"Yes, well, it's too bad Marinette refused to come back.," said Alya mournfully. "I hope she was at least able to take her final exams. Otherwise, she'll end up being held back."</p><p>"You don't know?" asked Adrien, startled.</p><p>Alya shook her head. "She hasn't been very talkative these past couple of weeks. She refused to let me over."</p><p>"Yeah, dude," said Nino in an uncharacteristically somber tone. "Als and I went over there to surprise her, but she refused to let us up in her bedroom. We sat on the living room sofa with her parents for like thirty minutes before we let it go and left."</p><p>Adrien frowned. Marinette was pushing them away.</p><p>"It's so sad," said Lila in a tone that was so convincing even Adrien hesitated to doubt her. "I won't pretend she and I were friends, but I still wouldn't want that to happen to her. I spoke to the principal, and he agreed to let her back if only she would write me a letter of apology." Lila looked down at her shoes, tears shining in her eyes. "She refused."</p><p>He'd independently verified that Lila did get the principal to rescind the expulsion with conditions. Though what happened after that he didn't know. He could only assume that Lila was telling the truth and that Marinette had in fact refused.</p><p>There was a sheen in Lila's eyes as if she was ready to cry. Surely that couldn't be faked. His suspicion wavered, and he found himself putting a comforting hand on her shoulder. "It's okay, Lila. Whatever happened, you did your best for Marinette in the end."</p><p>A single teardrop ran down her cheek. "Thank you," she whispered.</p><p>A moment later, the cloud of misery dissipated, and she added, "I'm just so lucky that you're all such wonderful people. With being akumatized twice and everything else that happened to me, I thought for sure I would have no friends."</p><p>Before any further words could be exchanged, they reached Adrien's limo. The others excused themselves to continue on their way. Adrien crawled into the backseat, sinking into the cool, soft leather. The space had been calibrated to his tastes to ensure maximum  comfort - something which had, paradoxically, always made him uncomfortable.</p><p>From behind the tinted windows, as the car drove past his friends, he studied Lila yet again. He watched as she maintained a slightly hunched posture, her hands stuffed in her pockets. Her entire demeanor screamed submissive. Her tone, mannerisms and even words had done nothing but scream friendly and helpful. Surely no one could be that good an actor. He would know, having been surrounded by poseurs and sycophants his whole life. He shook his head. She was probably just lonely, and the lies were no doubt cries for attention. Maybe in another life, if things were slightly different, it could've been him crying out like that.</p><p>And then there was Marinette. The day of her expulsion still haunted him. The memory of that day was like a flame in his mind. The more time he spent thinking about it, the more it felt like he was burning. The list of crimes against Marinette was long and disturbing. He had no doubt that she was either guilty of all of it or none; especially since it all came from Lila herself, the queen of lies.</p><p>He was almost totally certain Marinette was innocent. Almost totally certain. Almost... that word - that feeling - he couldn't quite bring himself to not doubt at least a little. It would've been one thing for Lila to slip the test scores in Marinette's bag, but to get into her locker? That required a whole other skill set. He would know about that too, since being a secret superhero required him to have an eclectic skill set to keep from being outed.</p><p>If Marinette had only accepted Lila's deal - if she'd only been able to come back - the whole sad mess could've been put behind them. But now, her absence was a physical thing. He felt it every day he wen to school; Felt it in the slightly lost look Alya had, the way no one sat where Marinette had - the way people tried to avoid that spot with their gaze.</p><p>Either Marinette was guilty, in which case Adrien had come to trust someone that he didn't know at all... or she was innocent, in which case he'd failed to save a friend who needed him. It hadn't been lost on him that it'd been his name she'd called out to come to her aid. It'd been him she'd turn to in order to be saved. And he'd said nothing... had done nothing.</p><p>for the first time in a long while, he'd felt completely helpless. A rarity given he was a superhero.</p><p>Adrien straightened suddenly. Was it possible? Perhaps Cat Noir could help where Adrien Agreste had failed? Cat Noir  was good at stopping supervillains. But Marinette's problems, strangely, were more complicated than that. Still.... Maybe there was a chance he could do something. If he could mend the gap between Marinette and Lila, wouldn't that solve the problem? Honestly, defeating Hawk Moth sounded like an easier proposition. But when did bad odds ever stop him before? If he wanted to be the hero he professed to be, then he had to try. He had to.</p><p>And besides, they didn't call them miraculous for nothing.</p><p>#</p><p>"I... got....” The sac of flour slipped from nerveless fingers. With her every muscle quivering, she slid down  bonelessly over top of it. </p><p>"Are you sure you don't want some help?" Her dad hovered anxiously a few feet away.</p><p>"Somebody kill me, she thought.</p><p>"I'm fine, Papa."</p><p>A thirty second breather and she gathered herself up and trudged to the back where she grabbed the next container of supplies, determinedly ignoring the concerned glances exchanged between her parents. It didn't matter if they thought she'd gone crazy. Only one thing mattered. Getting stronger.</p><p>"AARGHH!" Marinette heaved the forty pound water bottle onto the base of the cooler. Cords of muscle stood out on her arms, her flared nostrils and flushed cheeks and bared teeth visible in the reflection in the front window. A startled passerby glanced in her direction before hurrying away.</p><p>"There," she said, brushing traces of flour from her hands. "The water cooler is refilled. The flour is put away." She looked around to see if there was any other supplies that needed to be put away from the delivery. Nothing. She pursed her lips. "Anything else?"</p><p>"No, sweetheart," said her mother. "Why don't you take a break? You've been working hard all day."</p><p>"All week," said her father worried. "What's the matter, ma petite?"</p><p>"Nothing," she cried, her voice unnaturally loud. "I just want to help my parents, who I love, by carrying... heavy things. You're not spring chickens anymore, Papa. What if you threw your back out? Why, we'd all be in trouble. You wouldn't be able to bake pies, and then we wouldn't be able to pay the rent, and the next thing you know, we'll all be expelled - I mean evicted-"</p><p>Her mother came around the counter and swept her up into a hug. "Oh, sweetheart. You don't have to worry about that. We're not going to get evicted. Everything's going to be just fine. Now why don't you go on upstairs and maybe work on some of your designs. You know that always cheers you up."</p><p>"Oh well, I was thinking, maybe I'll just go for a run instead."</p><p>Her mother frowned. "Didn't you go for a run in the morning?"</p><p>"Er, did I say run as in running for the sake of running? That's not what I meant. I meant I was planning to run over to... Luka's. Yeah, that's what I meant. I'm going to go run to see Luka, because he's... a boy - I mean a friend, who I might want to see-"</p><p>Five minutes later and a lot more babbling, she finally managed to get out the front door.</p><p>"Are you really going over to Luka's?" Tikki asked from inside her purse.</p><p>Marinette let out a sigh. Luka. What a complicated subject. "Do you think I should?"</p><p>"If you have feelings for him," said Tikki, "then yes. So long as you're not leading him on, Marinette."</p><p>"I wouldn't do that." Deep down though, she wasn't so sure. The thought of Adrien still hurt, and if he came up to her and professed his love... but then that look of disappointment from that day....</p><p>Sometimes it got so confusing in her head, and the only lifeline seemed to be Master Fu's last words to her. Life itself is precious. It'd become a mantra. Something to keep her focused. Strange that it was easier to face Hawk Moth than her friends. If they were even her friends anymore.</p><p>"Running and doing push-ups and carrying sacs of flour - that stuff's not going to help me learn to fight." She began walking down the street. "I need a proper instructor. Someone who knows what they're doing. Someone who can train me in exactly how to maximize my superhero powers."</p><p>"You could try going back to fencing class."</p><p>A vision of watching Adrien and Kagami sparring only to whip off their masks and begin kissing passionately filled her mind's eye.</p><p>"Not fencing," she said firmly. "Definitely not fencing."</p><p>Marinette's ambling led her to the park where Adrien was famous for taking his photo shoots. The Liberty was just visible in the distance.</p><p>"Tikki, how did other Ladybugs learn to fight?"</p><p>"The guardians taught them."</p><p>Marinette paused, hands in pockets, gaze hooded as she spotted Adrien and Kagami. It shouldn't have surprised her. It was after school in the twilight between school and fencing practice, and they were both in that class, so of course they would meet up and hang out at the nearby park. Stop it, she admonished herself. He's not yours. He never was.</p><p>She drifted closer to the Liberty, pausing again when she saw Luka and Juleka both on deck. Juleka. She'd been one of the ones that'd nearly been akumatized that day. Which meant she'd believed Lila's lies. Marinette's gaze slid away from the Liberty. Seeing them now, even from a distance, made something unpleasant well up inside. She'd thought that seeing Luka might've cheered her up. His words, his music, his kind smile - he'd always managed to warm her up inside. To make her feel wanted. But he was also now a reminder that she was alone. She could never rely on him again to wield a miraculous. And no matter how hard she tried, Ladybug would always be a silent barrier between them. For if she got too close to someone, they would almost certainly begin to ask tough questions about her sudden and strange absences.</p><p>"So Master Fu would've taught me?" asked Marinette for clarification. Her feet began to take her along the Seine, through the spattering of couples that drifted along its banks.</p><p>"Maybe," said Tikki. "He was never trained as a guardian. He probably wouldn't have known how to teach you."</p><p>Marinette frowned. "What about the temple of guardians then? They're back, aren't they?"</p><p>"I don't know, Marinette," replied Tikki. "I don't think it would be a good idea. Hawk Moth knows about them too, and besides, they probably don't speak English."</p><p>She remembered Master Fu's words about their traditions. They came from a different time and a different culture. Could she learn from them without giving up her life here in Paris?</p><p>"Do they have other miraculouses?" At Tikki's nod, she continued, "Will Hawk Moth attack them?"</p><p>"I doubt it. He would have to go there, and since it's high up in the mountains, he would be at risk of being discovered. Besides, he's shown in the past that he doesn't really care about the others."</p><p>"That was before he saw me unify them." Marinette closed her eyes. Another secret given to Hawk Moth. What if he found a way to combine the butterfly and peacock miraculous to create brand new terrors? What if he now became far more interested in other miraculouses? She was already at the top of his hitlist for the ladybug miraculous. Now if she handed out another miraculous to someone, there was no telling if he would concoct a plan to try to take it. Before, the other miraculouses had been nothing but a means to her and Cat Noir. She shook her head. </p><p>"Am I becoming paranoid, Tikki?" Her voice was a whisper.</p><p>Silence.</p><p>"He can send akumas and sentimonsters from here though.... And if he gave them a teleportation power-"</p><p>"He wouldn't be able to control them," Tikki cut in. "And I don't think even Hawk Moth would want to let an akuma loose like that."</p><p>But a chill ran down Marinette's spine. If Hawk Moth did let an akuma loose outside Paris, her identity would become in danger of being compromised. It wouldn't be practical to leave for long periods. He already knew she was a teenager. He'd called them children. All he needed to do was check school records. Maybe she and Cat Noir could hide it on the first few, but after five or ten? Just the time it would take to get to such an akuma would require them to use resources and time that would make it impossible to remain transformed. Unless she used the horse miraculous.</p><p>The horse miraculous. Excitement bubbled within her. Was that the answer? Could it be so simple? She could teleport right to the temple as easy as walking to school. Easier even. And she knew already that the horse miraculous was up to the job. They teleported an entire train from outer space back to the station.</p><p>The sudden burst of excitement settled. It wasn't a cure-all, but it was a start. It was something she could do to prepare for the inevitable confrontation. To stack the deck at least a little in her favor.</p><p>And as for digging Hawk Moth out of whatever little burrow he was hiding in... well that she'd have to plan for on another day.</p><p>#</p><p>"AAAAHHHHHH!" Marinette's shrill cry bounced off the walls of her bedroom.</p><p>"Is that really any way to treat your friendly neighborhood cat?"</p><p>"What - Cat - what are you?" Her gaze flicked past his grinning face to the cloudy afternoon sky beyond.</p><p>"No akumas," he said, sighing. "Is that what everyone always assumes when I'm about? I have a life you know. Nine of them in fact."</p><p>Marinette grimaced. "You'll have eight if you don't explain why you're peering in through my bedroom window." She eyed him warily. "And why you're huddled like that."</p><p>"Ah," he began delicately. "I'm keeping a low profile so I'm out of sight of our fellow Parisians." He waved a claw behind him for emphasis. "And as to why I'm here here, well, Ladybug and I are going around checking on our fellow miraculous holders to make sure they're all doing all right."</p><p>Marinette's brain stalled on Cat's words, and it took several seconds to reboot. "What are you talking about? I'm not holding any miraculous." She glanced suddenly at the miracle box, which was sitting out on her desk, just out of sight from Cat's vantage. But if he dropped down into her bedroom proper....</p><p>"Well, former holder," he amended. "You know... MultiMouse?"</p><p>It took another few seconds for her to assemble the pieces to understand what Cat was saying. She'd been Multi-Mouse when they'd taken on Kwamibuster. Of course, she'd put herself front and center precisely to throw Cat and others off the trail. Was it any surprise he'd remembered?</p><p>"I'm fine," she said absently, her mind still chewing on his presence. "Wait, you said... you and Ladybug had come up with this plan?"</p><p>"He nodded emphatically. "Indubitably."</p><p>He's lying. Bemusement gave way to tension as she stared up at him. "So who else have you visited then?"</p><p>He shrugged, though the motion looked a little strange with him laying flat on his stomach and peering down from overhead. "You're my first." He waggled his eyebrows.</p><p>Was he insane or just akumatized? Just insane, she decided, relaxing fractionally.</p><p>"Any chance you could let this stray in?"</p><p>"Next you'll be wanting a bowl of warm milk too." She shook her head. "I can't let a strange boy into my bedroom. Not even a strange superhero boy." Seeing his ears droop, and still puzzled over his presence, she added, "But I can come out onto the balcony. It's secluded enough. I assume if we don't make a habit of it...."</p><p>He sprang back from the window. She crawled up after him. When she finally made it out onto the rooftop balcony, she brushed her hands off and came to stand next to him. "So, anything else on your mind?"</p><p>He glanced at her, his expression softening. "Heard you were expelled. Wanted to make sure you were okay."</p><p>"Okay?" she echoed, feeling a little slow. Why the heck was Cat asking about her expulsion? How'd he even know about that?</p><p>"Yeah," he said. "I wanted to check up on you. Seems like being expelled might be the sort of thing that would turn someone into akuma fodder."</p><p>"Hawk Moth tried," she said instantly, remembering that day she'd been forced out of the halls, away from everyone she knew. "But something went wrong. Not too sure what though."</p><p>In the days that'd followed, she'd hoped that maybe, just maybe, she was somehow immune to akumatization. But Tikki had been adamant that it wasn't true.</p><p>He nodded. "Hmm. Maybe Hawk Moth was having an off day."</p><p>"Yeah, maybe. Wish we knew what made it an off day though."</p><p>"Who knows." Cat shrugged. "Maybe he's had others. We just don't know about it."</p><p>Marinette's eyes sharpened as she studied Cat. She hadn't considered that. Was it possible that Hawk Moth had a weakness of some kind that they could exploit?</p><p>"You mind if I ask what happened?"</p><p>He's come here to ask about my expulsion, she thought. That was weird, and yet, it was strangely comforting too. No one had really asked, or if they had, they'd been quick to insert their own two cents about it. She had a funny feeling that Cat would be different. </p><p>"There's a girl at school," Marinette began, searching for how to phrase it so she didn't come off sounding deranged herself. "She doesn't like me. Told me once she'd ruin my life. I don't know how, but she managed to plant evidence in my locker that I stole something." Marinette shrugged. "And that's about it. They listened to her and not me."</p><p>"They?"</p><p>"The principal. The students." An image of Adrien's face flashed across her mind, her embarrassingly desperate plea hanging in the air with all her classmates watching. She shrugged. "Everyone, really." After a moment in which Cat just seemed to watch her, she added, "Anyway, it was weeks ago. If I haven't been akumatized yet, I probably won't be."</p><p>"You're made of sterner stuff than most people," Cat said. His tone was sincere. "What are you going to do now then?"</p><p>Find Hawk Moth, was the first thought that came to mind. Though what she said was, "Learn how to bake."</p><p>Cat raised an eyebrow. "If I remember right, you're into fashion, right?"</p><p>Unbidden, her cheeks pinked. "Yeah." How'd he remember something like that? But the embarrassment vanished as quickly as it came, replaced by sadness. If she were having trouble managing a dual life now, how much worse would it be in the future when she had a career? A husband? Three kids and a hamster?</p><p>Marinette looked up to see him studying her. She studied him right back. Even though he'd been her partner for nearly two years, even though they'd been in life or death struggles time and time again, she didn't really know him. They'd been too busy fighting akumas, scrambling to escape to de-transform, too scared of revealing parts of themselves. But here, as Marinette, she didn't have to worry about that - at least not as much.</p><p>But then she remembered Cat Blanc, and a fresh set of chills ran down her spine. He'd been the akuma that destroyed Paris. She remembered being forced to fight and hide in the cataclysmed remains of the city she loved. All because Cat Noir had found out about her. A fresh wave of loneliness overtook her.</p><p>#</p><p>Cat didn't exactly have a plan when he came scurrying over to Marinette's. Not a surprise. Ladybug was the planner of the two. But now that he was here, even though the conversation was a little awkward, and his pretense was flimsier than tissue paper, he had no regrets. Marinette looked terrible. The vibrant, upbeat girl he'd known at school was gone, and in her place was a shadow. And the look in her eyes - it was as if she were reliving some horror only she could see. On instinct, he reached over and pulled her into a hug.</p><p>She stiffened, but soon melted into his embrace.</p><p>"It's going to be all right," he said.</p><p>"You don't know that," she replied into his shoulder.</p><p>"Sure I do. I'm a superhero, remember? It's my job to make things all right."</p><p>She snorted. "You only have to lose once, Cat."</p><p>He frowned as he stared past her. That might have been the darkest and saddest thing anyone had ever said to him. Not even Ladybug had ever said something so pessimistic.</p><p>"Well we haven't yet, have we?" But his response seemed to fall flat, as he thought about the fiasco that was the battle with Miracle Queen. They'd lost all their miraculous holders and so much more. Hawk Moth had, astoundingly, made an ally out of Chloé - something he still had trouble reconciling.</p><p>"You notice how there's been no akuma attacks lately?" he said, trying a different tactic. "That's because Ladybug and I kicked Hawk Moth's butt so bad the last time he's still licking his wounds."</p><p>She made a noncommittal noise before pulling away. When she looked up at him, it was with a strange expression. "You're really not concerned, are you," she murmured.</p><p>He smiled at her. "Nope. I trust Ladybug's got a plan to deal with Hawk Moth."</p><p>"Yeah." Again, her expression turned soft and sad, that haunted look returning. Normally, people were reassured by even the mention of Ladybug, but then again, now that he looked back on it, Marinette had never been starstruck like others he'd interacted with as Cat Noir.</p><p>"I should probably go," he said, taking a step back.</p><p>Marinette smiled, and in a light tone said, "yeah, wouldn't want Ladybug catching you holding another girl."</p><p>The words were like knives in his chest, but he didn't let it show, instead grinning and quirking a feline ear in her direction. "Why? Are you afraid you two might get into a cat fight?"</p><p>Marinette grimaced. "I think I walked into that one."</p><p>He smiled, relieved to see the older, happier Marinette shine through, at least for a moment.</p><p>"I'll take my leave," he said, tipping an imaginary hat in her direction. "Farewell, Princess."</p><p>"Farewell, Cat."</p><p>He bounded away, turning once to stare at her, a solitary  figure on the rooftop. It struck him in that moment why he'd been so unsettled, and why he'd needed to come out and see her. The expulsion - it was everything he himself had feared once going to school - the threat his father held over him everyday. The threat all his friends, his lifeline to a normal world, could and would be taken away at the whim of another person. To see it happen to another person; especially someone like Marinette.... He resolved to return and see her again.</p><p>#</p><p>Marinette watched Cat Noir launch himself onto a nearby rooftop before vanishing.</p><p>"Is it just me or was that a little odd," she murmured.</p><p>Tikki fluttered up from a nearby hosta. "He's worried about you."</p><p>Marinette nodded. "Yeah, well, it's nice to know someone is."</p><p>Tikki's response was an expression both exasperated and pitying. "Lots of people are worried, Marinette."</p><p>She sighed. "I know, Tikki. It's just hard to believe it sometimes." It felt like everything had just sort of fallen apart all at once. School, Adrien, Master Fu, the miraculous holders. She couldn't indulge in the childish belief that things would turn out in the end just because reasons. Not anymore. That just wasn't how life worked.</p><p>She gave the skyline one final assessing glance before retreating to her room.</p><p>#</p><p>The first thing she noticed was the sound of the birds. They were everywhere. A dozen different kinds all singing their own song, yet somehow  creating a harmony through the chaos. The second thing was the hot humid air, which hit her like a wet blanket.</p><p>Thankfully, her magical costume was temperature regulated. "Tikki, Kalki, divide," she said quietly. Kalki separated and quickly hid inside her tresses. This was supposed to be the temple of the guardians, but there was no telling if tourists or government officials would also be here since the temple's miraculous return.</p><p>Marinette gave her surroundings a quick once over before darting through the large pillars and up the steps. The building was made of marble and accented by jade and other semi-precious minerals, a testament to its age and history.</p><p>The high ceilings were shadowed with crenellations that let her swing unseen through the shadows. She came upon an interior hall where two men stood guard, framing a set of double doors. It looked important enough that she figured it was the right place to drop down and introduce herself. They wore loose tan robes with hoods pulled down.</p><p>"Hello," she said, landing ten feet in front of them.</p><p>Their eyes widened, but they otherwise gave no indication of surprise.</p><p>"Ladybug," one said in a heavy accent. He bowed. "It is an honor. Follow us."</p><p>They opened the doors and escorted her through to a moderate-sized study replete with Ikea-style furniture and a desktop computer.</p><p>The man behind the desk stood, startled but pleased. "Ladybug, welcome,' he said, his English almost fluent. "We had hoped you would come; especially after witnessing the events on the internet." His gaze slowly transformed to sorrow. "We also witnessed what has befallen initiate Fu." Turning back to Marinette, he added, 'We assume that you are the one that destroyed the sentimonster and freed the guardians."</p><p>Ladybug nodded. "Yes." And then, feeling the need to explain, "Somehow, it was brought to Paris as part of an exhibit. The villain, Mayura, who holds the peacock miraculous, revived it."</p><p>"I see," he said. "There is much to discuss, young Guardian." He turned to the others. "Please leave us and ensure we are not disturbed."</p><p>A moment later, Ladybug was taking a seat.</p><p>"My name is Henry Luk," he began. "And before you ask, I am not one of the guardians, nor was I trapped here by the sentimonster. Rather, I am a grand nephew of one of the guardians. Over the past few weeks since the temple's return, those who have returned have begun exploring the world around them , re-establishing contacts with family and friends. It was realized early on that they would need assistance, and so many who still have family in the world have enlisted the aid of such." He gave a self-deprecating little laugh and waved at himself. "Hence why I am here."</p><p>As Henry talked, Ladybug relaxed more and more. She'd feared so much coming here, not having had any idea what to expect. A modern day citizen with a desk and an internet connection was not one of them. But it made things so much easier. She'd half-feared that they were going to try to take her miraculous away, or try to indoctrinate her into an outdated way of thinking. But this - this was so much better.</p><p>"What - what are the plans of the temple and its guardians?" she asked, still processing Henry's words.</p><p>"We don't know," he replied. "The world is in danger from this Hawk Moth and his accomplice, Mayura, but it does not appear that the guardians have much power to assist. There are rumblings here that the government wants to seize the miraculouses which remain here."</p><p>"That's - that's terrible," she said. "Will the Guardians give them up?"</p><p>"I do not know. The miraculouses are... well... miraculous," he said. "But you yourself know that most of them cannot be used to defy an entire government."</p><p>"But the guardians must be planning some way to-"</p><p>"I'm certain they are," he said quickly. "But what they are doing is something they have not disclosed to me."</p><p>She leaned forward, "Could I speak to one of the guardians? There is so much I still don't understand about the miraculous - about the spells and the powers - things Master Fu did not or could not explain."</p><p>Henry shrugged. "As far as I can tell, they are not very forthcoming with information to those not in their order."</p><p>"But I'm a guardian now," she said, "and it's critical that I learn. Paris and the world are counting on me to stop Hawk Moth." Her fears regarding the looming danger went unvoiced, but Henry seemed to pick up on it nevertheless.</p><p>"Yes," he said, his brows furrowing in thought. "I will speak to the head of the guardian order. It is currently their time for prayer, but if you wait thirty minutes, I'm certain we can arrange an audience. This is, after all, an unprecedented time, and surely they can adapt to reflect this new reality. Would you care for some tea in the meantime?"</p><p>"Yes, please."</p><p>"I'll be just a moment." Henry took his leave to go get the tea.</p><p>Minutes passed with Ladybug having nothing better to do than sit and wait. The room was spartan with little more than a window overlooking a forested valley below. What would it have been like to grow up in a place like this? What would it have been like to be Ladybug in a world without cell phones and computers, in a world where thousands of people weren't crammed together in a few square kilometers? She imagined herself being Ladybug in an earlier time. The idea had a certain appeal - a freedom from the crunch of juggling two identities that had been inexorably grinding her down over the past nearly two years. Sometimes, when she thought about it, the idea of doing this superhero thing for decades - it sounded like hell.</p><p>She checked the time on her phone. Twenty minutes had passed, and Henry still hadn't returned with the tea. She was just resolving to go looking for him when he burst in through the door. He whirled around, closing the door quickly but quietly.</p><p>"What's wrong?"</p><p>"Shh," said Henry, locking the door. He continued in a whisper, "Ladybug, you must leave immediately. Leave and do not return."</p><p>"What-" at his gesture, she lowered her voice. "Why? Henry, what's going on?"</p><p>"No time," he said. "The government is here. They have brought men with guns. They are interrogating the head guardian now."</p><p>A chill ran down her spine, and anxiety flared in her veins. This couldn't be happening.</p><p>"I'm sorry, Ladybug," Henry said. "You must not be found here."</p><p>"But I can help." She needed their help. She couldn't just walk away. Would she ever be able to find the guardians again?</p><p>"You don't understand,' Henry replied, sounding frustrated. "We will try to find you, but you must leave. Do not return. If they find you, the government men will be angry. The guardians have already denied you are here. If they are found to be lying." Henry closed his eyes and took a deep breath. "And if Hawk Moth knows you came here-"</p><p>Marinette trembled at the thought. Eyes shining,  she held out her hand. "Kalki, Tikki, unify." She turned to Henry. "I'm sorry."</p><p>What she was sorry for she didn't know, but there was no more time to explain. A pounding came at the door along with demands to open it. There were mere seconds left. Marinette teleported . The last thing she saw was the door being blown open. The last thing she heard was Henry screaming.</p><p>#</p><p>Marinette searched the news on her computer agitatedly for any scrap of information regarding the temple of guardians, but the only information that had been released was that the temple was closed to visitors. The subset of miraculous fans speculated at length with conspiracy theories flying fast and furious, but there was nothing save for one photo of the temple's front entrance, soldiers with dangerous-looking rifles held at the ready.</p><p>Marinette had been so obsessed with Hawk Moth for so long that she'd forgotten that there were other evils in the world. The only reason the government hadn't moved in to Paris to try to find Hawk Moth was the fear that he could akumatize the very people searching for him. But surely the government would be looking for him from afar. This thought only made her feel worse though. The police had had years to try to find Hawk Moth. Either they were incapable of doing so or they didn't care enough to try. Either way, it made her feel even more alone.</p><p>"Something needs to change." Marinette was sitting in front of her dresser mirror in her pajamas. She'd taken to leaving her hair down, but it also meant that she needed to care for it more.</p><p>tikki was in the process of running a brush through her hair. Occasionally, she would use her small hands to work out knots and tangles in her hair.</p><p>"Do you have a plan, Marinette?"</p><p>That was the question Tikki always asked every time she brought up this subject. Cat Noir's words to her from his first visit was like an accusation in her mind. Ladybug will have a plan. But it wasn't true. She had no plan. She just couldn't think of a way to locate Hawk Moth. She briefly debated talking to the mayor to see if he might be able to help. But he'd never struck her as competent, and in any case, he could be akumatized at the drop of a hat, which would mean Hawk Moth would know what she was trying to do. That could backfire spectacularly. No, she thought, shaking her head. No one could know.</p><p>Hawk Moth had returned to his regular schedule of akumas, and Marinette had done her best to make sure it was business as usual. She hadn't even told Cat about the mess at the temple.</p><p>"Hawk Moth only comes out when he's got an advantage," Marinette murmured as Tikki worked on a particularly difficult tangle. "We need to lure him out somehow. He used Heart Hunter to distract me so he could talk to Chloé, and he also used it to force me to retreat to Master Fu's. We have to do the same thing to him."</p><p>"But how, Marinette?"</p><p>She looked at Tikki in the mirror. "By offering him something he can't refuse."</p><p>"If you offer him the earrings, he'll know it's a trap," Tikki warned.</p><p>"I know." Her eyes glittered in the lamplight as pieces of the plan slowly came together in her mind. They both heard the gentle patter of footsteps from outside. Cat had arrived as he'd been doing every Thursday since his first time a month ago. As Tikki slid under the bed to where the miracle box lay, snatching another macaron in the process, Marinette set aside her musings to greet her guest.</p><p>She clambered out onto the balcony, pausing to watch him standing tall, a sculpture silhouetted against the setting sun. His tail swished, and his ears twitched. Despite all the time they'd spent together saving Paris, she'd never really taken a moment to study him. The suit left nothing to the imagination. Short of the suit altering his physical dimensions, there was no questioning the fact that Cat was handsome. Too much so, maybe... if such a thing were possible. The suits made them larger than life, rendering them caricatures of ordinary people - something to be admired at a distance but never truly known.</p><p>At least that would've been the case if Cat weren't making a point of coming over. And, incidentally, putting his own identity at risk as well as hers. Not that she'd been able to resist, her need for a friend overpowering her rational side.</p><p>Backlit by the sun, it took her a moment to realize that he was holding a tray with two cups in it.</p><p>"Wasn't sure if you'd want coffee in the evening," he said lightly, "so I got you a hot chocolate."</p><p>"Thank you." She sidled up next to him and took the cup. From the smell alone she could tell it was high quality. Probably expensive. "Did you actually walk into a shop and order this?"</p><p>He winked. "Absolutely not. It would ruin my natural mystique to be seen milling amongst the ordinary folk." He took a sip and smiled. "But I do have my ways."</p><p>"It's lovely," she said, "and thank you."</p><p>"I wasn't sure if you'd be getting out much." His voice was uncharacteristically uncertain, no doubt worried about touching a live wire.</p><p>Strangely, his own nerves seemed to cool hers. "I do a little bit. I still see my friend, Alya." She'd seen her a couple of times since school let out. It wasn't the way it'd been before, and that was mostly on her. Maybe if she just gave it time. Whatever wound had been inflicted on her that day still felt raw, pulsing every time she confronted anything that reminded her of it. And no matter how hard she tried, even her friends - even Alya - who'd believed her without a doubt - she shook her head. It didn't matter.</p><p>"Marinette?"</p><p>"Hmm?"</p><p>"You spaced out there for a sec."</p><p>She looked up to realize that he was watching her intently. "Sorry," she said automatically, and then, feeling that she needed to say more, she added. "It still hurts." She searched for the words to try to explain, but they didn't come to her.</p><p>"You're not alone," he said softly.</p><p>She snapped her head up to lock gazes with his. When did he get to be so perceptive? On instinct, she wanted to argue with him. She was alone. But how could she explain the burden she beared? Even if she wanted to tell him - and part of her yearned to do so - Cat Blanc stood there, a stark reminder to the danger. Not until Hawk Moth was defeated. Until then, she was alone, and no one could do anything about it. "Yeah."</p><p>She didn't even try to hide her disbelief. He didn't press the point, which she was thankful for.</p><p>"How's the defense class turning out?"</p><p>She smiled more genuinely. "Good. But it's not a class. After the first few, my instructor pulled me aside and offered me private lessons in mixed martial arts. It costs more, but it means I can advance faster. Apparently I'm a natural." She had to forcibly hold down any hint of smugness. No one knew that her miraculous let her recover far faster than a normal person, which let her hit harder again and again.</p><p>He raised an eyebrow yet again. "So I should be careful not to get on your bad side."</p><p>She raised a fist and punched him in the arm. "That's right."</p><p>"You know I barely felt that, right?" The suit's practically invulnerable.</p><p>"You just wait and see, kitty."</p><p>He grinned. "Challenge accepted."</p><p>They lapsed into a comfortable silence. Marinette was nearly done her hot chocolate when she finally asked, "Cat, not that I don't appreciate the visits, but - why are you still coming by?" She raised a hand to forestall his response as she formulated the deeper meaning to her question. "There's lots of people in Paris who are lonely and who could use a friend. There's lots of people who are hurting. Why me?"</p><p>A minute passed in silence, and she began to think he wouldn't answer. Finally, he said, "That's a tough question, Marinette. The truth is, I don't have a good answer. It's not all about me helping you. I like seeing you. You're comfortable to talk to. Can we maybe not try to overthink it?"</p><p>"You must not know me at all," she said, smiling to take the sting out of the words. "Overthinking is practically my middle name."</p><p>"Your name is - Marinette Overthinking Dupain-Cheng?"</p><p>"Exactly, now you got it."</p><p>"Bit of a mouthful that. Are you sure your parents didn't like hate you when you were a baby?"</p><p>"Watch it buster, or I'll hit you again."</p><p>#</p><p>"Watch it buster, or I'll hit you again."</p><p>Again, there was that trace of the Marinette he remembered. At least the non-stammering, non-blubbering, non-red-faced version. Maybe now was the time to press the subject a little further.</p><p>"You know, believe it or not, I know a thing or two about loneliness," he said casually.</p><p>She snorted. "Sure, I can see it."</p><p>"I'm serious. My home life isn't the greatest. Being Cat Noir lets me express myself in a way that I can't otherwise. It lets me be free to be those things that I can't otherwise be."</p><p>She didn't respond, but it was clear she was listening from the tilt of her head and the suddenly focused expression on her face.</p><p>He went on, "People often talk about loneliness as being like emptiness. But I don't think it's true. Loneliness is like a-" he glanced around for inspiration. Spotting the plants on the balcony, he said "it's like a weed. If you let it get a foothold, it'll just grow and grow inside you, choking out everything else in your heart. Eventually, you won't be able to feel anything else but the pain of it."</p><p>Her gaze had become unfocused. He prayed he was getting through. </p><p>"Do me a favor would you? At least try talking to your friends. Don't shut them out."</p><p>"It doesn't matter if I call them or not," she said, but her voice sounded defeated. "My parents are enrolling me in a different school. I'll barely ever have time to see them again. It's better to just make a clean break and try to find new friends once the new term begins in September."</p><p>"Are you saying that because you truly don't want to see them, or because you're afraid of rejection?"</p><p>"Yes," she replied.</p><p>"Come on, I'm being serious." He leaned over and gave her a nudge with his shoulder. "Where's the girl that helped me defeat Evillustrator?" He made a show of peering at her in an overexaggerated manner. "I think I see her in there somewhere."</p><p>A blush came to her cheeks. "Don't look at me like that. It's weird and creepy."</p><p>"That's why you're blushing, right? Face it, Princess, you can't resist my charms."</p><p>The return to his over-the-top flirting was a relief. She rolled her eyes. "Has any girl ever fell for that?"</p><p>"You tell me," he replied easily. "You're the only girl in my heart. Well, you and Ladybug."</p><p>"I thought for sure you had some other poor girl on the side." Her tone was light, but she couldn't but blush too. His demeanor had changed with Ladybug, but he'd remained cagey.</p><p>She was startled when he sobered and nodded. "There's a girl in my civilian life."</p><p>"I seriously hope you're not about to say that it's okay to have a different girl for your superhero persona."</p><p>He was silent for a moment, his brows furrowed in concentration.</p><p>The blood drained from her face. "You seriously think it's okay-"</p><p>"I didn't say that," he cut in severely, but he fell silent a moment longer before saying, "You know, Ladybug never even tried with me."</p><p>A snappy retort was right on the tip of her tongue, but she held back at the last instant. Maybe it was the way his voice had a lost tone to it, or maybe it was the thousand yard stare as he relived some past memory, or maybe it was just that she felt a sudden sense of empathy for her friend - that maybe she wanted to do something other than what Ladybug would have done in this situation.</p><p>"What do you mean?" she asked quietly.</p><p>"She's literally the only other superhero like me," he began. "She and I - we're a team - a pair. That's the way it's been since we've gotten our powers. She's literally the only one in the whole world who could understand what it's like. She's the only one I can share-" he gestured at himself, "-that I can share this aspect of my life with." He turned to her, the sadness nearly a physical blow. "I don't understand why she wouldn't.... What's wrong with me that she wouldn't even try? How could she be so certain we couldn't work?"</p><p>A dozen responses flitted through Marinette's brain, but somehow, she knew without a doubt that if she uttered any of them, it would have damaged something inside Cat Noir. Long after his question faded away, his pain remained permeating the space between them.</p><p>"The only time I feel like I can be myself is when I'm Cat Noir," he confessed, looking out over the streets of Paris. "That probably doesn't make a lot of sense. Not without knowing who I am underneath the mask. And I know Ladybug has no reason to think that, but it's like... she's the only one I've ever showed the true part of myself to. The best part. And it wasn't good enough. Not for the one who mattered."</p><p>Every word he spoke - every emotion that leaked from him - all of it seemed to shift reality ever so slightly on its axis so that nothing and everything suddenly seemed to be out of sync.</p><p>"I don't know what to say," she said, cringing at how lame her words must have sounded.</p><p>He turned and smiled, but there was something brittle and self-deprecating in it. "It's okay. I don't think there's anything to say, Marinette."</p><p>Anxious to not let this heavy silence suffocate them, Marinette blurted out the first thing she could think of that was at least remotely relevant. "And the girl you're dating?"</p><p>"I'll never be able to tell her the truth about me... about all of me." His words felt like the tolling of a bell. "Ladybug would never forgive me. She might even demand I hand over my miraculous. And I wouldn't blame her. It would only take her getting akumatized for Hawk Moth to know who I am - and she's been akumatized already so it's hardly a stretch."</p><p>Marinette had to force her mind from running through the list of victims. There was more than a hundred, but she knew many of them, and could have whittled the list down without difficulty. She should've stopped Cat Noir right then and there, but instead, she remained frozen as he continued to speak.</p><p>"She likes the person that she sees, but I don't even feel like that's me. My home life's not great. I feel like I live in a cage, and even though she doesn't mean to, it feels like she's another bar on the cage."</p><p>"You have to talk to her," Marinette exclaimed. "Cat, you can't just... even if it's painful - you can try to work through it with her or you can break it off - but you can't just - imagine if Ladybug did that to you."</p><p>He looked down at the claws that gripped her balcony railing hard enough to leave grooves. "I thought I was coming here to try to give you advice."</p><p>"I'm serious, Cat. As your friend, I'm telling you-"</p><p>"I should go."</p><p>"Now just hold on-"</p><p>But he was leaping onto the railing and then away in a series of powerful bounds that had her clothes fluttering in the wake of his departure.</p><p>Oh, he was so going to get it when she saw him next.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Chapter 2</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <h4> Hi all, Thank you for the comments and support. I fixed up the typos and stuff from the first chapter. When I first wrote the story, I was confused about the time period that seasons 1 to 3 cover (I think I flip-flopped a bit during the writing process). It seemed like too many akuma battles for a single calendar year, though it does appear they remain in the same class. For the sake of clarity, I’m going with s. 1 starting in grade 10 and s. 3 ending near the end of grade 11. This story picks up from there, moving into the summer and the final year of lycée.

As to posting schedule – I prefer to write fast and post fast so I can finish the story. As a reader, I’d prefer to read a rougher story if it means seeing it completed. Comments and criticisms are still welcome. I’ll just use them to work on making the next story better.
</h4>
<p>The steady thwack-thwack of gloved fists against the heavy bag was a soothing beat to her frustration. She'd waited all week for that mangy cat to come back to her rooftop the following Thursday as he ought to have done. She'd stayed up past midnight for him before finally giving up.</p>
<p>"Steady there," said her trainer, Sylvain. "You don't want to damage something."</p>
<p>"I'm fine," she said through gritted teeth as she continued to pound away.</p>
<p>"I was talking about the bag," he said, putting a cool hand on her flushed shoulder.</p>
<p>Marinette stopped suddenly and stepped back, noticing for the first time just how sweaty she'd gotten.</p>
<p>Sylvain eyed her critically. "You've demonstrated extraordinary stamina, and you can deliver strikes outside your weight class, Marinette. But today is more and less than your usual performance. Emotion can be good, but it needs to be channeled properly. You are unfocused."</p>
<p>"just personal issues," she said. She grabbed a towel and a water bottle. Her fingers ached pleasantly and all the muscles in her back and shoulders and arms tingled from the exertion.</p>
<p>"yes, but it is interfering with your form. It will take countless hours of repetition to ingrain these movements into your muscles. If you develop poor habits, you will have to spend extra time to undo them."</p>
<p>"I'm sorry."</p>
<p>"Show me your footwork again please."</p>
<p>Marinette spread her feet farther apart, following her instructor's directions.</p>
<p>"Better," he said. "Now continue. And go half-speed. You want to go slow and clean and then speed up. That is the only way to do it."</p>
<p>She continued to strike the heavy bag, but much more slowly, taking care to control each motion, focusing less on explosive power and more on control.</p>
<p>"Much better."</p>
<p>Sylvain took her through her paces, moving from exercise to exercise, critiquing her form.</p>
<p>"You have been practicing." It wasn't a question.</p>
<p>"Yes, sir," she replied.</p>
<p>"You are improving by leaps and bounds. You will be a deadly opponent one day."</p>
<p>"Thank you." Before they could say anymore, there was a scream from outside, and a car went rolling end over end down the street. A moment later, a roar that made the floor shudder reverberated through the gym. The akuma alert began to sound.</p>
<p>Even without seeing her enemy, Marinette was almost certain that it was a sentimonster. They tended to be more aggressive, have greater physical strength, and were more likely to be animalistic. Everyone around her was moving in a controlled panic to the back of the gym. One of the mayor's more useful edicts had been to mandate akuma training for all businesses, and to make arrangements to ensure that every building had multiple points of exit so people could flee more easily. Marinette made to follow her instructor, her gaze searching for the perfect opportunity to escape to somewhere private. Yet this was not like school, where she could make up an excuse and ditch her classmates. She was surrounded by older people, and in particular, her instructor, who made it his responsibility to get her to safety.</p>
<p>Thankfully, or maybe not, a massive crack split both the ground and the ceiling of the gym, sending people stumbling to one side or the other. Before she could turn and make a panicked flight to one of the side rooms, Sylvain grabbed her and nearly carried her through the back way. </p>
<p>"Oof," she wheezed, as they flowed with the rest of the people out the back and into an alleyway. Fortunately, this was where any semblance of coordination ended. People scattered to either side regardless of wherever the sentimonster was lurking. The moment Sylvain turned left, Marinette shouted, "I'm going this way!"</p>
<p>"Mari-"</p>
<p>"Bye!" she ran in the opposite direction, using her smaller stature to weave through the wave of people, hopefully losing her instructor in the process.</p>
<p>She managed to wedge herself into a shadowy spot behind a dumpster. Ew, she thought as her foot stepped in something putrid.</p>
<p>"Marinette," whispered Tikki, who phased through the dumpster.</p>
<p>"Tikki, Kaalki, unify."</p>
<p>A moment later, she teleported to the roof to get a bird's eye view of the damage. Cat Noir was leaping in from the East. College Francoise DuPont was directly behind him a distance away but still visible to her.</p>
<p>"What do we got here, Ladybug?"</p>
<p>"Sentimonster. Typical brute variety."</p>
<p>"With tentacles."</p>
<p>"Tentacles that can shatter concrete."</p>
<p>They watched as the monster ruptured a gas line, causing a geyser of ultra flammable liquid to fountain into the air.</p>
<p>"Uh-oh."</p>
<p>"we'd better hurry," said Marinette grimly. "Before this whole street turns into an inferno."</p>
<p>#</p>
<p>Hawk Moth watched with only half his attention as Ladybug and Cat Noir defeated the sentimonster. The defeat of Miracle Queen had been the last straw. He needed a better plan. It was clear that the superheros were becoming more powerful. They'd been able to defeat swarms of supervillains with almost embarrassing ease. And that cursed guardian had done the unthinkable, further empowering Ladybug. He still didn't understand the full extent of what it meant to be a guardian, but he had a feeling it wasn't going to be good for him in the long run. He needed to find them as soon as possible.</p>
<p>Mayura drew a thin line along Cat Noir's trajectory from where he was first spotted to the scene of the battle.</p>
<p>"What of Ladybug?" demanded Hawk Moth, leaning forward.</p>
<p>"I'm sorry, Hawk Moth. From all accounts, she just appeared at the battle."</p>
<p>He growled but said nothing else.</p>
<p>"It will only be a matter of time," soothed Mayura. "Once we have mapped out their frequent routes of travel to and from their battles, we can begin narrowing down their likely places of activity - school, work, home. It is a pity that the summer break is here. No matter though. Once September arrives, we will find ways to stress them. So long as the attacks continue to happen during the day, they'll be hard-pressed to-"</p>
<p>"I understand all that," he said irritably. "They'll make a mistake eventually. The both of them. It is only now with the full power of the peacock miraculous that this opportunity has presented itself. And yet I find myself impatient for the day of our victory to arrive."</p>
<p>Before, he'd been limited to sending his akumas only to those who were nearby and who were experiencing the right sort of negative emotions, forcing Hawk Moth to work off a timetable that left too many variables to be accounted for. But the sentimonsters were more flexible. They could be built right here and then ferried quietly to their intended destination before causing mayhem that would call the heroes. He'd wanted to send the monsters out during the night, forcing the heroes to be roused from their beds. But Mayura had dissuaded him. They would have been hard to spot in the dark, and the change in his tactics would have alerted them to something being wrong. Here, they would be none the wiser. The thought soothed him, the look on their childish faces when they realized that experience, intelligence and wisdom had been their ultimate undoing. Foolish children.</p>
<p>On the television screen, Ladybug was purifying the amok and restoring all the damage. Everyone cheered. </p>
<p>"Enjoy your victory today, Ladybug," he murmured, pausing the video to study her face. "For your doom approaches."</p>
<p>#</p>
<p>"You get back here right this instant, Cat Noir!"</p>
<p>Cat Noir landed on a neighboring rooftop, pausing having heard a familiar voice shouting. He'd just separated from Ladybug, both of them having to find a secluded place to de-transform. He glanced down to see an angry Marinette, in a tank top and gym shorts, her hair tied into a severe-looking bun. Hands on hips, she glared up at him cutely.</p>
<p>"Uh, Marinette?" he asked.</p>
<p>"Where were you last night?"</p>
<p>"Look I have to go-"</p>
<p>"Where. Were. You!" She crossed her arms in front of her chest.</p>
<p>"Uh, sorry, I was busy. Look, I gotta go, but I'll come over tonight, okay?"</p>
<p>"You better!"</p>
<p>He could see that their shouting match was drawing a crowd. He turned and fled with only two minutes left to spare. Just enough time to vault across downtown and back into the public bathroom of the shopping mall. He sighed. These crosstown midday attacks were going to be a serious problem if they persisted into the next school year. People were going to think he was doing drugs or something while hiding in the toilet.</p>
<p>Maybe he should get expelled too and then he could return home. Weird that being locked up at home might actually net him more freedom.</p>
<p>#</p>
<p>The dinner hour had slowed to a crawl as Marinette picked at her food. Both Tom and Sabin exchanged occasional uncertain glances.</p>
<p>"Sweetie, it's not the end of the world," Maman said carefully.</p>
<p>"I know."</p>
<p>"There are other schools."</p>
<p>"Yeah."</p>
<p>"It's ridiculous," said Tom. "You took all the tests and passed with flying colors. They have no right-"</p>
<p>An arresting hand from Maman on his arm stopped him. She turned back to Marinette. "Do you have any thoughts on what you would like to do now?"</p>
<p>I want to use the rabbit miraculous to go back in time and throw Lila off the Eiffel Tower. But what she said was, "Not too sure."</p>
<p>"I'm going to speak to someone about this on Monday," started up her dad again. "Francoise Dupont shouldn't be making a notation on your transcript that you were expelled. No other lycée will take you-"</p>
<p>"You're not the Mayor, Papa," she cut in, frustrated. "They're not going to care what you say." She didn't want to be having this conversation. It didn't matter anyway. She couldn't realistically go to another school. It would be further away, forcing her to allocate more time in transit, which would stress her schedule even more. Not that her parents would understand. It wasn't like she could tell them she needed to budget time in her routine for fighting akumas and sentimonsters. Somewhere in the back of her mind, she knew she was giving up. That she was letting them win. But in another way, it was a relief. "I'll home school. I'm smart enough. I'll breeze through the course work and write the equivalency exams. And that'll be that."</p>
<p>"But your dreams of-"</p>
<p>"I'll find another way." She dropped her fork into the remains of her spaghetti. "May I be excused? I'm not hungry."</p>
<p>She rushed off to her bedroom. She was exhausted from both her morning training and from the sentimonster attack that came afterward. Her parents' attitude wasn't helping. As she flopped onto her bed, she recalled her mad rush to finish the sentimonster, turn back into Marinette and run back out onto the street looking for Cat Noir. It probably hadn't been the smartest thing to do, but she did have a legitimate reason for being there. And besides, she needed to see him again.</p>
<p>She'd been irritated with him after his abrupt departure last week. The nerve of that boy to run around with a girl in his civilian identity, leading her on and then complaining about it. But then, as the days slowly passed and the more she thought about what he'd said, and the look in his eyes, the more she'd regretted snapping at him. He was confused, and he'd opened up to her needing a friend. And with that realization came the first stirrings of guilt. She imagined what it would be like in his shoes, feeling trapped on all sides in his normal life, seeing his Cat Noir persona as an escape.</p>
<p>A month ago, she wouldn't have understood. She'd loved her civilian life. If anything, it'd been the Ladybug part of her that had started to make her feel trapped, a slowly building tension between the two opposing forces in her life - a tug of war between Marinette and Ladybug with her as the rope.</p>
<p>"Do you think he'll show, Tikki?"</p>
<p>Tikki made sure to keep out of sight just in case Cat Noir decided to peer into her bedroom window again. She'd given him an earful on peeping into a girl's bedroom window on one of their visits. He'd promised not to do it again, but he was still a boy, so she didn't totally trust him. She'd managed to put together some curtains so she could cover her window from prying eyes, though now the curtains and the window itself was open given she was expecting him.</p>
<p>It was dusk when she heard the familiar click of his baton on the nearby tiles overhead. She wasted no time scrambling to step out onto the balcony, though the moment she did so, she was splashed with the first drops of rain. Lightning briefly illuminated the dark clouds rolling overhead.</p>
<p>"Eep!" She backed up quickly into her room. Seeing that Cat was hesitating to follow, she motioned for him to hurry up and get inside before the rain sluiced into her bedroom.</p>
<p>The moment he landed next to her, she reached up and sealed the window shut.</p>
<p>"Phew, that was close." The rain began to come down in sheets.</p>
<p>For a moment, the two stared at each other, Marinette realizing Cat was now in her bedroom. His gaze began to rove curiously over the contents. "Hmm."</p>
<p>"Not a word, Cat."</p>
<p>"Very pink," he replied. "I'm flattered you're inviting me into your bedroom, but don't you think we're moving a little fast?"</p>
<p>She had to remind herself that she was the one who invited him over that very morning. As soon as that thought came, her discomfort dissipated, and instead a glint came into her eye. "What's the matter, Cat? Never been in a girl's bedroom before? I would've thought a catsanova like you would've gotten around."</p>
<p>He'd started to take a walk around her room, looking at the pictures on the wall when he paused and cocked a feline ear. "A gentleman never kisses and tells."</p>
<p>"Well then I don't see what's stopping you from talking about it?" She padded over to her bed and took a seat, noting how his gaze lingered on the few photos of Adrien that she still had on her wall, and the quirk of his lips. "Still a fan, huh? Funny, I remember there being more pictures."</p>
<p>Did everyone watch that show? Stupid Jagged Stone, she grumbled to herself. "I don't know what you're talking about."</p>
<p>His responding grin was infuriating. "Well, I can see I've got some stiff competition for my princess' affections."</p>
<p>"Did you talk to your girlfriend?" she asked pointedly.</p>
<p>"Did you call your friends?"</p>
<p>She tamped down the instinctive irritation, and instead tried to see it from his perspective. "You said you felt trapped?" she asked.</p>
<p>He picked up a game controller delicately with one claw. "Ultimate mecha Strike 3? Seriously? You play?"</p>
<p>Her eyes narrowed, but she let the topic drop. "Totally. You game?"</p>
<p>"You're on, Princess."</p>
<p>She fired up the console, smirking as an idea came to her. "Let's make this a little more interesting, shall we? Every time one of us loses, they have to either take a question or a dare." Marinette grinned triumphantly at the dumbfounded expression on her partner's face. "What's the matter? Cat got your tongue?"</p>
<p>The pun seemed to jolt him back to reality. "You're on, Princess. I'll have you know I'm amazing at this game. And with my cat-like reflexes, I'm going to have you singing like a canary."</p>
<p>"We'll see."</p>
<p>A minute later, her character was obliterated.</p>
<p>"Yes!" Cat dropped his controller and pumped his fist in the air. He turned to her smugly. "Well, Princess, truth or dare?"</p>
<p>"You'll get yours," she grumbled good naturedly. "Nothing embarrassing."</p>
<p>"That wasn't part of the rules," he said quickly. "Now what'll it be?"</p>
<p>"Truth," she said reluctantly.</p>
<p>"When was the last time you left the house to do something that was purely for fun?"</p>
<p>"That's not even a hard question," she said, laughing. She mentally scrolled back in time. There was the morning when she went for her MMA instruction, but she did that every morning, and Cat wasn't going to buy that it was purely for fun. A couple of days ago she carried a large order of tarts to a customer's house. "Oh I got it. A couple of weeks ago I went for a walk. There's a tree in the park I like. I sat under it and did some sketching."</p>
<p>And then?" he asked, prodding her to continue.</p>
<p>She looked at him, puzzled. "Then I finished sketching and came home. What? Why are you looking at me like that?"</p>
<p>"No reason. Next round?"</p>
<p>"Sure." But half her mind remained on the way he looked at her. She thought she was pretty good at reading his emotions, even despite the mask, but there'd been something in his expression just then that had bothered her.</p>
<p>"Yes!"</p>
<p>"No fair," Marinette cried. "I was distracted. You distracted me."</p>
<p>"Oh? Do you find me distracting, Princess?"</p>
<p>"Just ask your-" she hesitated. Did she want him asking another question? And yet to take a dare. "A dare," she said determinedly. "I'm taking a dare."</p>
<p>She immediately regretted it as the Cheshire grin slowly spread across  his face.</p>
<p>"Unless you dare me to call my friends. No calling."</p>
<p>"No calling," he said, raising his right hand. "Cat's honor." He tapped his lip with one claw, making a show of thinking before he made an o of excitement. She could practically see the light bulb going off over his head. He turned and bounded onto her bed and spread himself out luxuriously.</p>
<p>"Cat!" she screeched. "What are you doing!"</p>
<p>"My dare," he said, still smiling. He rolled over as if to rub his scent all over her bedsheets. He settled  himself into a pose that looked positively licentious. "Take a picture of me," he said. "And send it to Alya. That's my dare."</p>
<p>Marinette mouthed the words Cat'd just spoken. A blush crept up her neck and across her cheeks as she watched him stretch languidly over her pink comforter.</p>
<p>"Cat," she said in a strangled voice, "you can't be serious."</p>
<p>"Pawsitively, Princess."</p>
<p>"Alya... she'll hound me until she gets the full story from me. She'll break down my door."</p>
<p>"And drag you out of here. He made a show of picking his teeth with one claw before licking his lips. And damn him. He actually made that look sexy too.</p>
<p>"Don't be a scaredy cat, Marinette. What's the harm?"</p>
<p>"Fine." She snatched her phone up and did her best to zoom in as much as possible. If she were lucky, Alya might not even realize it was her room.</p>
<p>"Don't forget the tail." He curled it down so that it disappeared underneath the bed. Marinette's hands trembled as she remembered that both Tikki and the miracle box were down there. She snapped a photo.</p>
<p>"Make sure you  take a few," he said. "I want to make sure you get my good side. Who am I kidding? All my sides are good."</p>
<p>She took three more, not wanting to argue. The faster he got his tail out from under her bed, the better.</p>
<p>"Happy?" she asked. "Come take a look."</p>
<p>"With pleasure, Princess." Another bound, and he was next to her. He was so close she could feel the warmth of his body, and his unique scent of leather and spice. She had never been so close to him before without it being the result of some sort of akuma-related danger. But now, in the quiet of her bedroom, with nothing but the faint sound of the game music in the background, she felt Cat Noir more acutely than she'd ever had in her life. A lock of his tousled hair tickled her ear as he leaned in to peer at the picture. Their cheeks brushed ever so slightly. Something in her stomach did a little flip-flop.</p>
<p>"Mmm," he said, "I like that one."</p>
<p>"That's because you can see the floral print on my pillow," she complained.</p>
<p>"Are you refusing to finish the dare?"</p>
<p>"No," she said. He watched, amused, as she stabbed at her phone with her index finger, bringing up her texting app and attaching the photo.</p>
<p>"What, no message?"</p>
<p>"Not part of the dare."</p>
<p>"You know, she's only going to have more questions."</p>
<p>"There's nothing I'm going to be able to say to get out  of this. You've ruined my life, Cat. I hope you're happy." But she couldn't quite hide the humor in her voice. She was present enough to appreciate that this was exactly Cat's brand of mischief.</p>
<p>"Another round?"</p>
<p>She followed his hand to the video game. "Definitely."</p>
<p>His only response was to smirk.</p>
<p>Two minutes later, he was shouting, "Yes!"</p>
<p>"What!? This can't be happening." Marinette tossed her controller to one side and checked to make sure it was plugged into the system properly. She then lunged for Cat's to see if he'd done something to it. He leaned back, relaxed, and stretched. "It's great to be me."</p>
<p>"How are you doing this?" she whispered. "You just won three times in a row."</p>
<p>"Truth or dare, Princess."</p>
<p>She hesitated. Truth or dare. Truth or dare. She had no idea. There couldn't possibly be anything more mortifying that he could force her to do than what he'd already done. But then again, she just wasn't as twisted as him, so there was really no telling what his mind could come up with. She wasn't happy about being forced to reveal anymore to him, but then again, that surely had to be the lesser evil.</p>
<p>"Truth."</p>
<p>"What's your deepest fear?"</p>
<p>"How are you beating me at Ultimate Mecha Strike?" she asked.</p>
<p>"Win a round and I'll answer that question. Now, what's your deepest fear?"</p>
<p>"You really know how to go for the jugular, don't you, Chaton?" she said, leaning back, defeated. She realized only after he paused, ears twitching, that she'd used her pet name for him when she was Ladybug. She barreled on, hoping to distract him from her slip, "My deepest fear is...." What was her deepest fear? It felt like she had so many fears that she didn't know which one to choose from.</p>
<p>She feared being alone. But really, everyone feared that. She feared never telling Adrien how she felt, but was that really her deepest fear? She feared never defeating Hawk Moth, but that was really only a part of it, and in any case she could hardly say that without sounding deranged or giving up her secret. An image of Cat Blanc formed in her mind. Her heart jumped with remembered terror. That'd been the lowest point. Even the memory of his dead eyes, of that terrible chase during which he'd hunted her through the ruins of Paris. The pain she felt fighting him... the words he uttered that cut through her. Hawk Moth had destroyed their love. The realization that he had killed Hawk Moth. That he had killed her.</p>
<p>A clawed hand came to rest on her arm. She looked up to see that Cat had come close to her. His expression was softer than she'd ever seen it before.</p>
<p>"I'm sorry," he said. "I didn't mean to-" He raised a finger and pulled a tear that threatened to spill from the corner of her eye.</p>
<p>"My deepest fear is that someone I trust will hunt me down while he's been akumatized." Just saying it out loud made something uncoil in her chest, as if the tension fled from her with the admission. She looked to see how he took her confession.</p>
<p>His expression was troubled. "That'll never happen," he said. He seemed to want to imprint this truth on her with the force of his gaze. "I'll always be there to save you."</p>
<p>But the fear was greater than that, and the words that tumbled out were like a storm she could not hold back. "But what if you were the one akumatized, Chaton?"</p>
<p>#</p>
<p>"But what if you were the one akumatized, Chaton?"</p>
<p>Marinette's question rattled around inside his own head for an eternity. He seemed unable to process it, but neither could he just brush it away. Not least because of the very real fear in her eyes. A fear that had driven her nearly to tears, and which left her body trembling slightly from some remembered horror. She must have been thinking about the Were-Dad incident, and how her father had sealed her away, or how Evillustrator had basically been a stalker. She'd been so brave both times, he'd never thought to wonder if they'd affected her more deeply.</p>
<p>If not me," he said finally, "then Ladybug'll be there. It's not like we could both be akumatized at the same time."</p>
<p>He waited for the moment when she'd relax. As much as the people of Paris liked Cat Noir, they universally loved Ladybug. Strangely, the tension did not leave Marinette. She looked even sadder.</p>
<p>"Yeah, Ladybug. Of course... she'd save me." She shook herself, as if to ward away a dream. "It's fine. You asked what my deepest fear is, and there you have it."</p>
<p>"I'm sorry," he said. "I didn't mean to force you to-"</p>
<p>"It's okay," she said, waving away his concern. The more she spoke, the more she seemed to shake off the fear that had gripped her. With a smile that was at least partly genuine, she said, "Now you tell me how you're winning."</p>
<p>He smiled, relieved to be on more familiar ground, though his troubled thoughts lurked in the back of his mind. "It's no trick, Princess. I am pretty good at this game already, though I dare say not as good as you." He held up his claws. "My powers give me superhuman reflexes. I can actually think and react way faster than an ordinary human in combat situations. That applies to video games too."</p>
<p>"Son of a-"</p>
<p>"Oh look at the time." he said, tapping his wrist for emphasis. "Gotta go."</p>
<p>He vanished through the window, where the rain had let up. Annoyed at herself for falling for something that should've been obvious to her of all people, she closed the window behind him. "Good night, Chaton. And thank you."</p>
<p>She glanced down at her phone, which was buzzing yet again. Ten missed calls and texts from Alya in the past five minutes. Wonderful.</p>
<p>#</p>
<p>"Seriously? You're a budding fashion designer. Of course we have to do this."</p>
<p>Hurricane Alya had stormed into Marinette's house the next morning and dragged her down to the fashion district.</p>
<p>"Of course we have to go clothes shopping. I've seen your wardrobe and nothing you have matches with  Cat Freakin' Noir's outfit. If you're going to be seen in public with him, then you've got to dress the part."</p>
<p>"Why would I be seen in public with him?" Marinette asked, bewildered. It seemed obvious that her relationship with Cat had to remain a secret. Wait, relationship? Friendship? Acquaintanceship? Definitely not relationship. No siree. That was not the right word at all.</p>
<p>"Well, yeah, you've got to get out there and make sure that people know he's your territory. Otherwise that cat's going to have no reason to stick around." Alya turned to her and levelled her fiercest glare. "And besides, what's this business about having him on your bed? Why's he gonna buy the cow if he's getting the milk for free?"</p>
<p>"Oh my God, Alya!" Marinette's cheeks caught fire from the insinuation. "Nothing happened."</p>
<p>Alya grinned. "I know that. But it's still good to make you blush. Now, let's get these clothes to the change room."</p>
<p>"Alya," she whined, following behind. "You know I can't really afford this stuff."</p>
<p>"It's just a bit of shopping therapy," she said, shoving Marinette into a stall and closing the door. "Besides, it might give you some inspiration."</p>
<p>For a moment, Marinette had a moment of silence and privacy as she stared at the bundle of clothes in her arms. Her face was still beet red in the full-length mirror. Some of these clothes did look really nice. She giggled at the thought of modeling some of this stuff for Cat Noir. The idea wasn't as unappealing as it ought to have been. Then she remembered that he had a girlfriend.</p>
<p>If he's trying to turn me into his mistress - the thought both infuriated and excited her. No, bad girl. You're lonely and vulnerable and that stupid cat is trying to take advantage of you.</p>
<p>But wasn't that the point he was trying to make? Marinette needed to stop hiding from the world. Otherwise, she was going to turn into some sort of a shut-in so desperate for affection that she took in any old stray that was willing to come by.</p>
<p>But was Cat Noir really just an old stray?</p>
<p>She tried to fix the image of Adrien in her mind. Her love for him hadn't diminished, and yet something was different. Since he'd first walked into her life, he'd been a nearly daily presence. But now, it'd been more than six weeks since she'd seen him, save for the occasional time she'd caught a glimpse from a distance. And in a way, she'd already let him go.</p>
<p>"One minute and I'm coming in there!"</p>
<p>"Sorry sorry!" She fumbled her clothes off and fumbled a new set on. It was a summer skirt with colored polygons of all kinds, and a pale blue blouse with a silvery sheen. The buttons were colored a darker silver hue and were diamond-shaped with black thread. The collar was a little more formal, but flared at the tips for a little more style. She fluffed her hair so it fanned out more around her and studied herself in the mirror. The first thought that popped into her head was: I wonder what Cat would think of this?</p>
<p>She opened the door to see Alya with one fist raised. Alya's eyes widened as she looked her over.</p>
<p>"Girl, what happened to you?"</p>
<p>"What?" Marinette asked, suddenly nervous. Alya stepped into the change room, which was thankfully big enough to accommodate them both. She held Marinette in her hands and turned her this way and that.</p>
<p>"What - what is it?"</p>
<p>"Girl, you're gorgeous!"</p>
<p>Marinette let out a breath. "What - why - how?"</p>
<p>Alya ran her palm down Marinette's stomach. "Flat as a board. She then knelt and checked her legs. I hate to break it to you, but you used to have a bit of a chicken leg thing going on, but that's all gone too. Holy cricket." She gave Marinette's calves an experimental squeeze. It's like your legs are sculpted from marble. Marinette, you're a Greek goddess."</p>
<p>"You're just spraying that - I mean staying that - I mean - oh you know what I mean!"</p>
<p>Alya stood once more and hugged her. "No I'm not, Marinette. You're beautiful."</p>
<p>She smiled so hard her cheeks hurt.</p>
<p>"We're marching you over to Adrien right this instant."</p>
<p>The smile waned. "Adrien?"</p>
<p>Alya nodded. "His jaw's going to hit the floor."</p>
<p>"No, no." Marinette pulled away and shook her head. "No, Alya. Not that. Adrien and I - it's not happening."</p>
<p>"What? Are you kidding?"</p>
<p>"No. I'm not." She resisted the urge to twist the shirt fabric in her fingers. "He's with Kagami. I don't want to... interfere with that. If she's the one that makes him happy... it wouldn't be right. I won't be that kind of person, Alya."</p>
<p>The look of sympathy on Alya's face was painful. So too was the note of respect and admiration.</p>
<p>"Adrien really did miss out," Alya murmured. She stepped forward and gave Marinette a hug. "I'm so sorry, Marinette. For not being able to reverse the expulsion. For not being able to help you better with Adrien. For not being there."</p>
<p>She closed her eyes and hugged Alya back. "I'm sorry too."</p>
<p>"Well that's good," said Alya with sudden brightness. She pulled back and smiled at Marinette. "Because we've got a lunch date with Nino, Adrien, and... Lila."</p>
<p>Marinette froze, her face locked in a too-wide smile. The only movement was a twitch of her eye. "Lunch with... Lila."</p>
<p>"I'm so glad you're okay with it," said Alya in a relieved tone. "It's really best we put all this unpleasantness behind us, you know? Now let's finish going through these clothes. Otherwise we'll be late."</p>
<p>#</p>
<p>I've died and gone to Hell.</p>
<p>These were the words that kept scrolling across the bottom of her mind's eye, like an evil little ticker tape.</p>
<p>Was it weird that she actually wanted an akuma to attack? Hawk Moth, where are you when I need you?</p>
<p>"And so yeah, when I was with prince Ali at his resort in Bermuda, he hired Jagged Stone to come and give us a private performance. The very next day I had my surgery, and voila, my cancer was cured."</p>
<p>The six of them were sitting at a private table in a fancy place called Cafe Deville. Marinette had stopped at the entrance, her gaze zeroing in on Lila. The girl had been fawning all over Adrien, who was sitting next to her. She must have sensed the animosity directed at her, because her laughter died away and she looked right at Marinette. Her look was both triumphant and calculating. Alya pushed Marinette along, rebooting her brain and enabling her to see that Kagami was also present and sitting to Adrien's opposite side. Realizing that there was a distinct possibility that she might end up saddled next to Lila, Marinette nearly shoved a server out of the way so she could claim the seat by Kagami. Bemused, Alya and Nino took the last two seats at the table.</p>
<p>"Hi,' Marinette said to the others.</p>
<p>"Hi, Marinette," came the chorus of voices. Lila's seemed to linger, grating on her brain. She imagined Lila's voice probably sounded a little bit like Cthulhu.</p>
<p>I'm not going to let that snake win, she thought and immediately sent a mental apology to Sass. Comparing her to a snake was an insult to snakes everywhere.</p>
<p>Marinette plastered a beatific smile and immediately turned to Kagami. "How are you?"</p>
<p>"Good, Marinette," replied Kagami.</p>
<p>Marinette studied the beauty. Kagami had a delicate sort of beauty, but she also knew that the girl had mad fencing skills that gave even Adrien a run for his money. "And you?"</p>
<p>In the early days after the expulsion, she'd fantasized a myriad of revenge scenarios. Some of them had been disturbingly violent. They'd all featured some sort of public exoneration coupled with a shaming of Lila. Every time the fantasy had ended, she'd felt worse than when she'd played the loop in her head. Often she'd play it again, trying to retain the emotional charge she got from the fantasy. And even though this was, in a way, her chance to vent to Kagami, who was her friend, she couldn't but notice the unduly stiff posture, and the slight crease in her brow, the downturn curve of her lips - as though she were smelling something vaguely unpleasant. In a pinch, she understood that Kagami was supremely unhappy at Lila's closeness to Adrien.</p>
<p>Adrien. The time apart had, in fact, not dulled her feelings for him. They surged as forcefully as ever. But, whereas before she would've been a stuttering mess, she felt a new surge of confidence - an overwhelming need. But it wasn't to have him for herself, though she craved that down to the pit of her soul, but rather to save him from the harpy that now had her sights on him.</p>
<p>"I've been better. Not sure if you heard, but I was expelled from school." Kagami's eyes widened. No doubt this would've been the height of disgrace in her eyes. The others tensed.</p>
<p>"Marinette," Kagami said, her gaze taking on a laser-like focus as she forgot about everything else in favor of directing all her attention on Marinette. "I cannot believe it. This must be the result of a grave injustice."</p>
<p>Marinette put a hand on her arm, and said, "I believe so, but one person's belief cannot change the world. Put it out of your mind. I would much rather hear more about what you and Adrien have been up to."</p>
<p>She gave them both a smile, tilting her head just slightly enough to ensure that Lila knew she wasn't included in the gesture. "I can't help but notice you're both sitting awfully close together."</p>
<p>The words cut, but she beared it for Kagami's sake, and because she was sure her friend needed this.</p>
<p>Kagami's cheeks took on a rosy tint. Adrien's gaze drifted to her, but the look in his eyes wasn't one she could quite place.</p>
<p>Kagami glanced at Adrien, almost as if asking for permission, before she said, "We are dating." She studied Marinette to gauge her response.</p>
<p>Marinette ruthlessly crushed the little barbed razors that had taken up residence in her heart and let out a little squeal of happiness. She leaned forward and gave Kagami a hug. "I knew it! You know I saw you both together at the park a few weeks ago. You two made the cutest pair."</p>
<p>"You saw us?" Kagami hugged her back, tentatively at first and then with more vigor. "Why didn't you come say hello?"</p>
<p>"And interrupt your date? Hardly." She could almost feel the confusion radiating from Alya and Nino, but ignored it. "And how's fencing? Are you still giving Adrien a run for his money?"</p>
<p>She glanced at Adrien again. "Yes, I believe so."</p>
<p>He smiled at her reassuringly. But again, that look Marinette couldn't quite place.</p>
<p>Marinette let the conversation carry on, cutting in only for the sake of politeness, making a point to exclude Lila but only where she thought it would go unnoticed by the others.</p>
<p>"Have you been here before, Kagami?" asked Marinette. "I can't decide what to get. What do you recommend?"</p>
<p>"I've been here before," piped in Lila. "I recommend the croissants. They're the best in all of Paris."</p>
<p>Marinette ignored the subtext, saying, "No thanks, I get enough pastries at home. A girl's got to watch her figure."</p>
<p>"The salad here-" she pointed to the menu item, "is lovely."</p>
<p>"Watermelon and feta?" Marinette raised an eyebrow. Seeing that Kagami was serious, she said, "Done." She folded up the menu. "It's lunch, so I don't want anything too heavy anyway."</p>
<p>"So Marinette," Adrien said, clearing his throat. "Do you have plans for the summer?"</p>
<p>"Not going anywhere if that's what you mean. I'm throwing my time into learning a martial art. MMA."</p>
<p>Nino jumped in. "No way, dude. MMA? You're serious?"</p>
<p>"Five weeks now." She made a show of flexing her bicep. "I can practically hear Chloé saying it's a peasant sport."</p>
<p>Alya snorted. "I still can't believe that girl actually showed her face back at school after what she did."</p>
<p>"Yeah," Nino added. "And she akumatized like two people last week."</p>
<p>"I think those were sentimonsters," Adrien said. "I don't think they had anything to do with Chloé."</p>
<p>"She's a sentimonster," Alya said. "She outed all the miraculous holders - that brat. Now what're Ladybug and Cat Noir going to do when they need help?"</p>
<p>Marinette looked around. "Oh yeah, I get it. We're all miraculous holders... except Lila, right?"</p>
<p>Kagami turned to Adrien. "you too?"</p>
<p>"Uh." Marinette watched him with some amusement. He actually looked panicked. Maybe he was embarrassed at his poor showing?</p>
<p>"You got the snake miraculous, remember?" she prodded.</p>
<p>The light bulb seemed to go off in his brain. He let out a relieved breath and said, "Oh yeah. I guess I didn't really think of it since I didn't do too well with it." He gave a little laugh. "I don't think I'm hero material."</p>
<p>"Of course you are," said Lila quickly. She leaned in to look earnestly into his eyes. "You're brave and compassionate and perceptive too. You've stood up to me once or twice." She frowned in thought. "Ladybug has several of these miraculous, doesn't she? I mean, she has to decide when and which ones to pick and who to give them to, right?"</p>
<p>"Yeah," said Alya thoughtfully. "But I only ever got the one - the fox miraculous, even though I was called several times."</p>
<p>"Isn't that a little weird?" Lila pressed.</p>
<p>Marinette kept her expression neutral, her mind racing as she anticipated where Lila was headed. It had to be something to discredit Ladybug.</p>
<p>"I wonder how she decides," murmured Lila in that same tone of curiosity.</p>
<p>"Do - do all the miraculous holders go to Francoise Dupont?" Alya seemed to expand as she filled with excitement. "Oh. My. God. Are they all in the same class?"</p>
<p>Marinette was suddenly hot and cold all at once. She tamped down on the instinct to start denying and making excuses. She'd learned the hard way that was how Lila won. She anticipated and manipulated. Like having had the presence of mind to throw the exam in Mme. Bustier's class, or having already planted the necklace in Marinette's locker. The girl'd been three moves ahead of Marinette, leading her and everyone along by the nose.</p>
<p>Up until now though, she'd only been a threat to Marinette's social and academic life. But suddenly, in the span of a single conversation, she was quickly becoming a clear and immediate threat that rivaled Hawk Moth. Marinette's mind raced as theories got tossed back and forth. That hadn't been a casual comment, despite the way she made it sound. Lila'd been fishing. Had she waited for Marinette to be part of the group before throwing it out there? Did she suspect Marinette?</p>
<p>"Guys, we shouldn't be trying to find out Ladybug's identity." Again, that was Adrien, unknowingly coming to her rescue. He was just so dreamy like that.</p>
<p>"Yeah," said Lila quickly, "but it's still weird that all the miraculous holders go to Francoise Dupont. Don't you see? She must be handing them out to her friends. It's the only reason that all the miraculous holders in all of Paris go to the same college."</p>
<p>"That's true," Alya said, eyes twinkling. "You know what? I bet if I can get the response time for Ladybug and Cat Noir to the akuma attacks, then we can confirm one way or the other."</p>
<p>"Because if she goes to the same school, then her response time should be very quick."</p>
<p>"She has to go there," said Lila. "Do you remember Horrificator?"</p>
<p>Alya nodded excitedly. "Of course. That attack happened entirely inside the school. Ladybug showed up almost instantly. Unless she was checking my blog constantly, she wouldn't have known unless she was already there."</p>
<p>Marinette watched the train wreck continue to unfold in front of her eyes, powerless to stop it.</p>
<p>"Do you have any thoughts?" Lila turned to Marinette.</p>
<p>Marinette kept as vapid and as clueless an expression on her face as she could muster. Part of her wanted to blurt out that she'd been multi-mouse, but she had a feeling that would have almost certainly outed her to someone as cunning as Lila, who understood intimately how to manipulate the people around her with false information.</p>
<p>"I never thought about it," Marinette said, sounding bewildered. "How many people go to Francoise Dupont?"</p>
<p>Alya was already checking her phone. "About seven hundred fifty people."</p>
<p>"yeah, but remember they're all from the same class," Lila insisted.</p>
<p>Marinette furrowed her brow in a show of contemplation. "Luka was Viperion, right?"</p>
<p>She looked around for confirmation. When she was satisfied people were nodding, she added, "And the akuma attacked at his home, right?"</p>
<p>More nods.</p>
<p>Marinette turned to Alya. "When you were given the miraculous for the first time, who was akumatized?"</p>
<p>"My... sisters," Alya said, deflating. "Oh, I get it. I happened to be close by."</p>
<p>"And you Nino?"</p>
<p>"It was Alya’s sister, but she was after me."</p>
<p>"It sounds weird, Lila, but it might actually be a coincidence." Marinette tapped her lip with one finger just as Cat had done the previous night. "You know, I've heard a theory that the strength of the akuma victim relates to the intensity of their negative feelings. And you know who's in our - I mean - your class, right?"</p>
<p>"Queen Bee." Alya made a sour face.</p>
<p>Marinette shrugged. "Yep." She then turned to Kagami. "And by the way, this salad is delicious. Feta and watermelon - who would've thought. The mint really ties it together."</p>
<p>Kagami smiled. "I am glad you liked it."</p>
<p>"You should come by the bakery some time." She gave Kagami as welcoming a smile as she could, glancing at Lila briefly as well. "Our croissants aren't necessarily the best in Paris, but they're still pretty darned good."</p>
<p>"Thank you, Marinette." Kagami's smile was radiant, and Marinette couldn't help but feel that, at least, if Adrien couldn't be with her, then it was good he was with someone like Kagami.</p>
<p>"Marinette, didn't you have a huge crush on Adrien?"</p>
<p>Marinette froze yet again. Lila's gaze was burning with what felt like naked, raw hatred. Uh oh, she thought. That girl's not pussyfooting around anymore.</p>
<p>"Um." She glanced at Adrien, who's expressive eyes seemed to carry only surprise, though if it were at the turn of the conversation or the fact she liked him, she had no clue. Her throat went dry, and she was certain she was going to be reduced to a babbling, incoherent mess. Don't open your mouth.</p>
<p>"No, I don't lick Adrien - I mean I like Adrien - no, I like... I like... Cat Noir!"</p>
<p>Silence.</p>
<p>"You like... Cat Noir?"</p>
<p>A wire in Marinette's brain must have short-circuited, because she couldn't tell who actually asked that question.</p>
<p>"She totally likes Cat Noir," added Alya, bravely coming to her defense. "And Cat Noir likes her back. Check this out."</p>
<p>"Alya no!"</p>
<p>But the phone was already turned around, the photo of Cat Noir stretched across her bed on display. "That's Marinette's bedroom," Alya added helpfully.</p>
<p>Everyone turned wide-eyed to stare at her.</p>
<p>#</p>
<p>"Kwamis, rise!"</p>
<p>It was a lazy weekday afternoon, and Marinette was lounging on her bed in a purple tank top and denim shorts.</p>
<p>From all around her, kwamis emerged from the various hidey-holes she'd managed to put together for them in her bedroom. It still wasn't perfect, but it was better than having the jewels all sitting around in a single box to be stolen in one fell swoop.</p>
<p>"Food!" they all cried in unison, descending on the giant platter of various foods she'd put together for them. It'd been some mad effort getting to the point where she could make them all the various kinds of food they liked. Her only excuse to her parents had been that she wanted to round out her knowledge of baking with all the other food-related culinary skills. It'd nearly brought her dad to tears with pride and joy.</p>
<p>Since when had she become so good at lying?</p>
<p>Pollen nibbled tentatively on a piece of sushi, peering up occasionally at her through her lashes.</p>
<p>"Everything okay?" Marinette asked.</p>
<p>"Yes, mistress."</p>
<p>Wayzz let out a breathy sigh. "Pollen wishes to express her profound sorrow at her former queen's actions. She also wishes to beg forgiveness on her queen's behalf."</p>
<p>Marinette stifled her instinctive response, which was, No way in hell.</p>
<p>"What exactly is Pollen asking?" Marinette felt a pang of discomfort. "Pollen, do you wish to return to Chloé?"</p>
<p>Pollen looked away. "There is good in her."</p>
<p>Marinette was careful to keep her voice calm and quiet. "You know she sided with Hawk Moth, don't you? Willingly."</p>
<p>"She was suffering," was Pollen's response.</p>
<p>"Well, we'll talk about it some more." She looked around at all the others, who were finishing up their food and gathering for their weekly strategy discussion. "We can add it to the bigger discussion about what we're going to do about Hawk Moth, Paris, and guardianship."</p>
<p>Wayzz floated above all of the others so that he was eye level with Marinette. "Here, here. I, Wayzz of the kwami, call this meeting of the kwami to order." He peered down at the others and began calling their names. "Tikki, Trixx, Kaalki, Sass, Pollen, Mullo,, Roarr, Fluff, Longg, Ziggy, Orikko, Xuppu, Barkk, Daizzi."</p>
<p>Everyone raised their hands when called. </p>
<p>"Ahem," Wayzz continued, "Fluff, if you would be so kind as to take the minutes."</p>
<p>Fluff saluted.</p>
<p>"Now then, I call this meeting to order. Let it be known and so inscribed in the minutes that this is the first meeting of the newly formed Kwaminic Order"</p>
<p>"Thank you, Wayzz," Marinette said. "Let it be known that the fate of Chloé Bourgeois, also known as Queen Bee, Queen Wasp, and Miracle Queen, is to be added to the agenda at the request of Pollen. Does anyone object?"</p>
<p>There were murmurs from the other kwamis. Marinette was certain she heard Roarr mumble, "Off with the Queen's head."</p>
<p>"Okay," Marinette said, clearing her throat. Despite having worked with many of them, and having had nothing but good experiences with all the kwamis she'd ever interacted with, she still felt nervous, as though she weren't really qualified for the job of guardian. "First, let's clear up the first point of business. Does anyone here think that we should surrender the ladybug and cat miraculous to Hawk Moth?"</p>
<p>The room fell deathly silent.</p>
<p>Wayzz floated up again and said. "All in favor show your hands." He surveyed them all. "Rabbit secretary, let it be known that there are no hands raised."</p>
<p>Marinette let out a breath. She hadn't been worried about that one. Mostly. "All in favor of stopping Hawk Moth and stripping him of both the butterfly and peacock miraculous?"</p>
<p>The kwamis looked around to one another before hands rose into the air. All but one. All eyes fell to Fluff, who suddenly looked nervous.</p>
<p>"Come on up, Fluff," Marinette said encouragingly. "No one here's going to bite. Everyone gets a say."</p>
<p>"Well," Fluff said, uncertainly at first and then gaining momentum. "Why do we need to bother with Hawk Moth at all? He'll be dead in a hundred years, two hundred tops. That's a blink of the eye to us kwami." Fluff looked around. "Wouldn't it be better to just disappear? I mean, if he sends out his akumas and there's no Ladybug to oppose him, he'll be forced to give up." Fluff floated back down to its spot.</p>
<p>More murmurs broke out at Fluff's proclamation. Marinette's heart sank as she saw that the others weren't disagreeing exactly. Was this how they really felt? Did they not care about Paris?</p>
<p>Tikki, bless her, floated up. "If we do that, then Hawk Moth may destroy Paris. He may destroy other cities too. There's no telling what he would do in his mad rage."</p>
<p>"It's better than letting him destroy the whole world. Or, if he's foolish enough, the whole universe, us included. Surely we all remember what happened the last time a wish was made."</p>
<p>More murmurs of assent.</p>
<p>"What - what happened?" Marinette looked among them. She'd never heard of this before. She only knew what Master Fu had told her.</p>
<p>"I remember it like it was yesterday," said Fluff. "It was the year 857 AD by your human calendar. A man lost his wife in a plane crash. He was devastated and wished that he could enjoy a long and happy life with his beloved."</p>
<p>"So sweet." Mullo wiped a tear from its eye.</p>
<p>"857 AD?" That made no sense. "There were no planes back then."</p>
<p>"Precisely," Tikki sighed. In that moment, she looked her age, which was apparently billions of years. "His wish went forward and backward through time. Instead of flourishing, the Roman empire collapsed hundreds of years in the past, plunging humanity into the dark ages and setting you back more than a thousand years, forever changing what was to what is."</p>
<p>Marinette's eyes were as wide as saucers. "No way. You can't be - are you serious?"</p>
<p>"For what it's worth," Wayzz added gently, "that man did live out his life with his wife at his side. They died at the ripe old age of sixty-two. They were positively ancient in comparison to the average life expectancy for their generation."</p>
<p>"But-" Marinette spluttered. "That's not balance. Tikki, how is that balance? Master Fu said-"</p>
<p>"Master Fu only knew what was written in the books." Tikki's voice was soft and soothing as if talking to a child. "The word balance doesn't adequately describe what happens when a wish is made."</p>
<p>Wayzz stepped in. "In order for that lady to live, reality must be altered. It is like dropping a stone in water. The ripples reach everywhere, yet the water remains the same. That man and his wife went on to have children, who themselves went on to have children of their own. That line of children would go into the future. Saving that one life means creating untold lives in the future. It means changing the tapestry of all the lives who come into contact with all those people. In order to correct for that, other things must change. Past or present."</p>
<p>"But - but that's not right!" Marinette exclaimed, suddenly terrified at the idea that Hawk Moth could devastate humanity. "I mean - if you bring back one life, sure they'll have kids, but if you take away another life, that other life won't have kids. It has to even out...." She looked between the kwamis. What they were saying couldn't be true. It just couldn't be.</p>
<p>Tikki's expression was softer and more sympathetic than she'd ever seen it. "The wish doesn't work like that. Any person who lives in this world has a probability cone. Good things happen... and bad things happen. If that man brought his wife back, he no doubt also wanted to have a long and happy life with her." Tikki made a v with one hand and then narrowed it. "By making his wish, he not only brought her back to life, he also narrowed her probability cone so that all the misfortune that might have befallen her was swept away. He wasn't going to allow her to accidently get hit by a car the next day, or to die in yet another plane crash."</p>
<p>"It's still only one life," Marinette tried, but she had an uneasy feeling she knew where Tikki was going.</p>
<p>"And that man's happy life probably also meant having children," Tikki went on, "and, more importantly, having children who also grew up to be happy and successful and to go on and marry... and to have children of their own."</p>
<p>"His entire line was blessed with good fortune until the end of days," Wayzz added solemnly. "For there to be all that good fortune-"</p>
<p>"There had to be bad fortune to balance it out," Marinette finished, shaken to her core. "If Hawk Moth makes a wish like that-" Marinette turned wide, terrified eyes to Tikki. "I thought he was just after power. But if he's a grieving father... a husband...."</p>
<p>Tikki nodded solemnly. "I told you before, Marinette. Mortals must not wield such power."</p>
<p>"The power of the ladybug and cat miraculous combined cannot be understated, said Wayzz. "If Hawk Moth wishes to create life on Mars, or to travel back to the start of the universe, or to its end - there is no telling what changes will be wrought to the fabric of the universe. Such power could undo the universe altogether. It could undo us."</p>
<p>Marinette bowed her head as if suddenly burdened by the idea that now loomed in her mind. I have to save the universe, she thought a little hysterically. She looked at all the colorful little beings that floated around her. Each one was a God in its own right. And now they were relying on her. Was it any wonder they wanted to run and hide? Suddenly, she wanted to run and hide too. Her breathing grew ragged. She thought she might be hyperventilating or having a panic attack or something. She'd thought she'd understood fear back when she had faced her first akuma. How wrong she had been.</p>
<p>A tear slipped from the corner of one eye. Tikki floated up to her and gently wiped the drop away with a hand. "It's okay, Marinette."</p>
<p>"What are we going to do, Tikki? I can't ask you all to risk your lives for us humans. You wouldn't even be in danger if it weren't for us."</p>
<p>"We wouldn't know love if it weren't for you humans either," said Tikki. "I like to hope that all us kwami value the friendships we've made with humans over the millennia. Even if your lives are fleeting, you shine bright like stars."</p>
<p>"Yeah, it's like reality tv for us," added Trixx. "You know, like, who's gonna get kicked off the island next?"</p>
<p>Marinette let out a little laugh, and at least some of the tension bled from her even as she wiped furiously at the tears.</p>
<p>"If I may bring the meeting back to the topic at hand," interrupted Wayzz. "Would anyone like to speak on the matter of attacking Hawk Moth."</p>
<p>"We've been doing pretty good fending him off so far," said Sass.</p>
<p>"He only has to win once," said Marinette. "That's why we need to go on the attack. Otherwise, yes, we would have to run and hide."</p>
<p>"Would you be willing to do that?" asked Tikki cautiously.</p>
<p>"I...." Would she? Could she actually leave Paris and go into hiding. Before she'd been expelled the thought would've been unthinkable. But now, somewhere along the way, she had learned that the good guys didn't always win. And Hawk Moth was dangerous. Very dangerous. Could she really defeat him? There was only one thing she knew for certain.</p>
<p>"Hawk Moth is forcing Nooroo and Duusu to do his bidding. I will never do that to you." She turned to Tikki. "I've always thought of you as my friend. My best friend in fact. You've always been there for me no matter what, and you've always said and done what you thought was best for me." She looked down, absently picking at a pink threat in her duvet. "I wouldn't be the person I am today if it weren't for you, Tikki. And if I'm really your friend... then I wouldn't force you to do anything. So yeah, if you all want to run and hide and wait for Hawk Moth to die of old age, then I won't try and stop you."</p>
<p>"Marinette." Tears began to shine in Tikki's eyes. "You are the greatest Ladybug I've ever had the privilege of serving. I've never met a braver, kinder, more compassionate soul in all my thousands of years amongst humans. Whatever happens, I will be with you."</p>
<p>"Thank you." Her voice was a bare whisper.</p>
<p>Around her, other kwamis started to cry too. "We won't abandon you either, Guardian," added Wayzz. "Oh darn, I think I have some dust in my eye. Excuse me a moment, would you?"</p>
<p>"We'll save Paris," added Longg. "And we will make Hawk Moth regret the day he crossed us."</p>
<p>Marinette struggled to speak past the lump in her throat. "Thank you. We'll do our best to make sure we come out on top."</p>
<p>"It's settled then," said Wayzz, who returned quickly to his post. "Let's talk tactics."</p>
<p>But before they could continue, footsteps approached from below.</p>
<p>"Kwamis, hide!"</p>
<p>Soon there was a knock at her door. "Marinette? Sweetheart? There's a friend of yours at the door."</p>
<p>"Coming!" She made herself a little more presentable before descending to the first floor only to stop in astonishment at Kagami, who stood awkwardly in the front.</p>
<p>"Hi, Marinette."</p>
<p>"Kagami! I wasn't expecting you. Come in."</p>
<p>"If this is a bad time-"</p>
<p>"No, no, come on up."</p>
<p>Her mother shoved a bag of pastries into her hands before they managed to get upstairs. Marinette tried to remember if there was anything incriminating  in her room. Surely the kwamis would have hidden themselves. "Come on, my room's up the ladder." She pitched her voice loud just in case the kwamis didn't know to hide. She loved them all, but a couple of them weren't the sharpest knives in the drawer.</p>
<p>Kagami raised an eyebrow but followed suit. Marinette was quite pleased by the look of astonishment on her face. "Your room is lovely." Her gaze lingered on her bed.</p>
<p>"Come have a seat."</p>
<p>"What brings you by?"</p>
<p>"You said I could come at some time. Some time has now passed." Kagami's response was just flat enough that she couldn't tell if it were a joke.</p>
<p>"Well, it's cool you're here. Anything you want to talk about?"</p>
<p>"I was hoping you could...," she trailed off uncertainly.</p>
<p>Marinette smiled encouragingly, though she had a sinking feeling that this was about Adrien in some way.</p>
<p>"He likes video games," said Kagami, flushing slightly. "I have not played. I wish to play and learn."</p>
<p>"With me," Marinette said, the puzzle pieces falling into place. "You want to learn so you feel like you're his equal in video games."</p>
<p>"Mother says that a Tsurugi never loses. I must become better in order to be worthy."</p>
<p>"At video games." She couldn't quite keep the incredulity from her voice. "Kagami, you don't have to be good at video games just because Adrien is. That's not the way love works." She reflected momentarily that she probably wasn't the most qualified person to be talking about love.</p>
<p>"Love?" Kagami's eyes widened. "I don't love him. I like him. Love will come in time. At least that is what mother says."</p>
<p>"Well, love or like, let's tackle Ultimate Mecha Strike 3 and make sure you're in top fighting form."</p>
<p>Marinette couldn't help but remember the last time she'd played. A smile came to her lips. That mangy cat. She was totally going to get him back for that. It also sent her competitive instincts into overdrive.</p>
<p>After the fifth time Kagami lost, she burst out, "I do not understand. What is the point of this game. It tests nothing of one's true skill in combat."</p>
<p>"It's a game," said Marinette. "We play it because it's fun."</p>
<p>"This is no fun."</p>
<p>"That's because you're losing." She raised a hand in defense at Kagami's look. "It's no different than how I would lose every time if I tried to fence with you. How many years would it take for me to be good enough to beat you in fencing?"</p>
<p>"Many."</p>
<p>Marinette ignored the sting of Kagami's answer. "Yeah, well, it might take you days or weeks or even months to get good enough at this game to beat Adrien. Are you sure you're prepared to learn?"</p>
<p>Kagami scrunched her face in an expression of determination. "I am, Marinette."</p>
<p>"Then let's do it. But you maybe should play against the computer. See here? There's difficulty levels so you can train to become better."</p>
<p>This seemed to be something that Kagami understood, because her eyes lit up. "Yes, of course. I will train. And then I will be the undisputed champion of Ultimate Mecha Strike 3."</p>
<p>"Right." Marinette made herself comfortable as she watched Kagami start her training. It wasn't the most enjoyable thing she'd ever done, but she still found it amusing to watch her super serious friend put all her effort into learning the game. Idly she wondered if she could contrive to give Kagami the snake miraculous so she could learn without actually eating up real world time.</p>
<p>"Marinette?" Kagami asked as she started yet another round.</p>
<p>"Mmm? Yes, Kagami?"</p>
<p>"Do you love Adrien?"</p>
<p>Marinette sighed internally. She supposed this topic was going to come up. "I don't know, Kagami. It feels like I love him."</p>
<p>"But how do you know it's love?"</p>
<p>"That's just the way it feels. I don't know how to explain it any better than that."</p>
<p>"Mother says that love is a choice we make. It is something that people who want to love one another have to invest in every day."</p>
<p>"Like how you're investing in learning how to kick butt in video games?"</p>
<p>"Yes, so I can be closer to Adrien. So I can share more with him."</p>
<p>Marinette had never thought about love that way before. She thought of her parents, who she'd never seen fight even once. Whenever one of them was upset, the other would always be there to give comfort and soothe the hurt away. They were like two halves of a whole. She just thought that they clicked somehow like it was natural. Surely that had to be the way love worked. Otherwise, she could love anybody, and that somehow felt wrong.</p>
<p>She thought of the things she'd already done for Adrien. Like the love she'd poured into making that scarf so long ago - and then letting him believe that it'd been his dad who'd given it to him just so he could be happy. And yet, for every moment of love, there'd been an equally intense moment of pain. Had it all been for nothing? She would've invested her whole life into him; every fiber of her being would've been poured into his happiness. What would it have meant if he'd never reciprocated? If all that love had been poured into an empty black hole - if not an ounce had been returned back to her? She shuddered.</p>
<p>"Do you think that Adrien is not... investing in you?" she asked cautiously. That seemed to be the only place she could think this conversation was headed.</p>
<p>"I am sorry for speaking of this to you, Marinette." Kagami's gaze was still fixed on the screen, but she had stopped playing. She looked down as if studying the pattern on the carpet. "But I have no one else I can speak to about it. Mother thinks that Adrien is a good match, and I believe Adrien's father believes the same."</p>
<p>"You could talk to Adrien," she ventured. "I mean, that's who you should be able to talk to about it, right?"</p>
<p>Kagami smiled, but it was not a happy one. "I am ready to invest in him, but I do not know how to. Everything I do... it feels like there is a barrier. He remains on the other side. I cannot reach him."</p>
<p>Marinette was confused, but she tried to put that aside in favor of understanding what her friend was telling her. "Why do you say that?" she prodded.</p>
<p>"I have learned to discern when Adrien is truly happy," Kagami began slowly. "And I believe that such times are rare." She looked up at Marinette. "I do not know how to make him happy, Marinette. You are the one that knows him best, I think."</p>
<p>Oooooooookay, she thought. That was  a doozy. Marinette ran through her mental rolodex of Adrien-related memories. Did he ever seem to be faking his happiness? "He's always been lonely," she murmured. In a way, that's what had drawn her to him in the first place. He'd seemed sad and lost, but despite it all, he'd been kind and compassionate too. It took strength to set aside one's own hurt and care for the hurt of others. She leaned over and put a hand on Kagami's. "If you're prepared to make the choice to love him, then I think you really need to talk to him about his feelings and understand him."</p>
<p>"Thank you, Marinette. You are a true friend."</p>
<p>"Yeah, that's me. A true friend."</p>
<p>"It is getting late. I believe it is time for me to go. Or else my mother will be unhappy with me."</p>
<p>Marinette walked her out, handing the bag of untouched pastries to her.</p>
<p>"Did you have a good time with your friend, ma  petite?"</p>
<p>"Mmm." Marinette was just about to head upstairs when she turned to her mother and asked, "Maman, how did you know you were in love with Papa?"</p>
<p>Sabin looked up from the book she was reading and eyed her daughter as if she could divine the name of the boy that had sparked this question from Marinette's demeanor alone. Finally she said, "Your father and I were together for two years before he proposed. One day, I was at work during a snowstorm. It was nearly midnight when my shift ended. I came out to the car to find your father there. He'd driven out to the parking lot in the cold and had spent more than an hour shoveling the snow out from my car so that I wouldn't find myself stuck after a long day of work." Her mother smiled as she relived the memory. "He was always there for me to encourage me and support me and listen to me... to love me. It was a joy for him. And every time he did something for me, I wanted to do something for him, and every time I did something for him, it spurred him to do more for me. And so our love just seemed to grow and grow."</p>
<p>"Is it like that for everybody?"</p>
<p>"I don't know, sweetheart, but I hope it is like that for you. I hope you find someone who makes you as happy as your father has made me happy." After a moment, she added, "But you're still young, and you shouldn't expect to find your special someone now. You're still growing, and the person you are today is not the person you will be tomorrow."</p>
<p>Her mother's words swirled with Kagami's to fill Marinette with a strange sort of melancholy. In a way, they were both saying that her feelings for Adrien were ephemeral. Transient, even. And yet they burned inside, sometimes flaring so hot she feared it would reduce her to a burnt out shell. How could something like that not be love? How could she feel more strongly for someone else than she did right now for Adrien? Yet, as the question posed itself in her mind, her first thought was of Cat Noir. Cat Noir, who had come from out of nowhere to be with her despite having no reason to do so other than empathy for her situation. Cat Noir, who had invested himself time and time again in her both as Ladybug and now as Marinette, and who she too could invest in both as Ladybug and as Marinette, albeit in a roundabout way.</p>
<p>She drifted upstairs, thoughts tumbling round and round like clothes in a dryer.</p>
<p>#</p>
<p>Marinette Dupain-Fucking-Cheng.</p>
<p>The name burned like acid on her tongue. Lila had been so sure she'd gotten rid of that pest for good, only for her to spring up all of a sudden at their luncheon. Nobody'd had any idea how hard Lila had worked to make that lunch happen, to be able to sit next to Adrien with Kagami there - for Lila to show that she could be a better friend to Nino and Alya than Kagami. That she could be more loving and caring. More funny. More charming. More everything than that frigid bitch. Anyone with half a brain could see that Adrien and Kagami weren't right for each other. They were too much alike, accentuating each other's flaws rather than balancing them out. </p>
<p>It'd been her one chance now that school was out and there were just so few opportunities to even see Adrien. The photo shoots hadn't been the golden opportunity she'd thought it would be. Adrien clearly didn't care for them, and he was quick to leave, and to treat everyone even tangentially involved with it in a strictly professional manner. </p>
<p>Which was why she'd been working on the Nino angle, slowly easing her way into his circle of friends from the outside. If only Adrien was as much of a dullard as the rest of the sheep.</p>
<p>She continued to sit on her bed, flipping through news and media articles on the latest gossip, mining it for whatever info she could get her hands on. Occasionally, she would save a photo for later with the intention of a bit of doctoring so it looked personal and authentic.</p>
<p>Marinette Dupain-Fucking-Cheng had been a thorn in her side from the very beginning. Lila had no idea why the girl had been so wise to her game, or why she felt the need to bud in at every opportunity. And Lila had already played the Gabriel card. Now that the girl was expelled, it wasn't like she could credibly ask for more help to trash Marinette. Fashion Daddy wouldn't understand. He wouldn't have seen the way Adrien's eyes lit up when Marinette had walked into that cafe. Even Lila had to admit that, somewhere over the past couple of months, Marinette had lost that childish schoolgirl look and was flowering into a beauty.</p>
<p>Man, those pigtails had been so lame. Lila snickered to herself. As if anyone other than a total dork or a pedophile could have loved someone who did their hair up in pigtails. Her mirth faded when she remembered the way Marinette had behaved at the lunch. She'd abandoned all attempts at talking to Adrien. She'd done everything in her power instead to reinforce Kagami's relationship. As if she were just there to spite Lila. The bitch.</p>
<p>That just wouldn't do.</p>
<p>"Lila! Dinner's ready!"</p>
<p>"Coming!" she shouted back. Irritation flared. Her parents still insisted on having dinner together sometimes. As if that would make up for all the times they ditched her for their fancy parties, blah blah blah. If she could find a way to get rid of them... but it would have to be in a way that got her closer to her goals. Of course killing them would be satisfying in its own right, but she was better than that. She only did things with purpose. That's what distinguished her from psychopaths. She wasn't a psycho. She was a capitalist.</p>
<p>And she knew how to play the game. Better than Marinette Dupain-Fucking-Cheng anyway. That was why she was now taking a different approach to Kagami. </p>
<p>She smiled evilly as she read the latest text from the socially repressed fencer: You were right. I feel much better after speaking to Marinette.</p>
<p>She texted back: Of course, Kagami. Us girls got to stick together. And you and Adrien make such an adorable couple. It only makes sense that you talk to Marinette for advice since she technically has known him longer than either of us.</p>
<p>I am so happy. You and Marinette are both true friends.</p>
<p>Lila wanted to vomit at the sappy garbage Kagami was spewing at her through her texts. She made sure to save each and every one.</p>
<p>Getting rid of Mommy and Daddy would have to wait. There were two other little birdies she had to do away with first.</p>
<p>With that, Lila hopped off her bed and dashed off to go suffer through her dinner.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Chapter 3</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>"Come on, girlfriend," Alya wheedled over video chat. "You've got to stop being such a spaz. He's literally making moonlight visits to your bedroom every week. Tell him how you feel. Go out together. You deserve it. And let me tell you, you can't do much better than Cat Freakin' Noir. He gives Adrien a run for his money in the looks department, that's for sure."</p>
<p>"He's got cat's eyes," Marinette tried, exasperated. "That's a little weird, don't you think?"</p>
<p>"Kinks come in all kinds, if that's what you like-"</p>
<p>"Stop!" How many times am I going to blush, Marinette wondered, before this conversation is over? "It's not like that."</p>
<p>"What, are you saying you don't like Cat Noir now?" Alya's eyebrows disappeared into her hair. "Because sending me a picture of him on your bed looking like that-"</p>
<p>I'm going to kill Cat Noir when he comes over, Marinette thought as Alya went on and on. I'm going to really truly kill him.</p>
<p>She caught the tell-tale sound of Cat Noir leaping onto her balcony. "Listen, I'll see you tomorrow. I have to go."</p>
<p>Something in her tone or expression must have given the game away, because Alya's eyes went round, and she made a little o of excitement. "He's there right now, isn't he! Isn't he!"</p>
<p>"Good-bye, Alya." And damn you cheeks.</p>
<p>"I know it! I can see it written all over your-"</p>
<p>She hit the end call button and flopped back onto her bed.</p>
<p>I don't like Cat Noir, she thought over and over again. The idea was just totally ridiculous. I'm just... lonely. Of course I would start to bond to him emotionally because of that. And I know him better than Alya realizes. </p>
<p>Being exposed to him as Marinette had opened her up to a different side of him. The playfulness was there, but the cockiness had been tempered by something softer and more serious. Maybe it'd just been because, as Ladybug, they'd mostly interacted in the middle of high stress, violent confrontations, often having to flee afterward to de-transform. There'd never been much opportunity to really sit down and talk. And it'd only been in that light that she felt he'd gotten to see her. That's all Ladybug was to him. That's all she could be.</p>
<p>Even if she'd wanted to spend time with him as Ladybug, it simply hadn't been possible. She'd already struggled to maintain the dual identity. Spending even ore time as Ladybug would have just stressed her life as Marinette even more. And that wasn't even getting into the fact that she could never have withstood the emotional heartache of entering into a relationship with Cat while drowning in her feelings for Adrien. Even the idea of romantically entangling herself with Cat had felt like she was betraying Adrien. At least in her heart. </p>
<p>And then there was the issue that any romance between them would inevitably result in disclosure. A masks-only relationship wouldn't have been any kind of relationship at all. And that kicked up so many other problems. It would mean exposing herself to Cat, forcing their relationship to change in ways she couldn't predict. It would mean risking not only her own life, but those of her parents. It would mean, if her trip to the future were any indication, risking all of Paris and beyond.</p>
<p>But if she dated Cat Noir as Marinette. If such a thing were possible....</p>
<p>But that made no sense either. Why would he even want to date her? She wasn't Ladybug, and he apparently already had a girl in his life. She rolled over only to come face to face with Cat's Cheshire grin.</p>
<p>"Well hello, Purrincess."</p>
<p>"Aaaahhhh!" she shrieked, half-rolling, half-leaping away and right off the bottom of her bed.</p>
<p>I'm totally going to kill him, she screamed in her mind as she hit the ground with a thump.</p>
<p>"I guess my good looks just blew you away."</p>
<p>"Cat, what - how?"</p>
<p>"Your window was open, and you know I'm as stealthy as a cat."</p>
<p>She climbed to her feet and glared daggers at him. "You can be a real creep, you know that?"</p>
<p>"You know you love me."</p>
<p>She climbed up and flopped back down on her bed.</p>
<p>"Marinette! Honey! Are you okay?"</p>
<p>"Fine, Maman!" She turned to Cat. "And I don't love you."</p>
<p>"Not even a little?"</p>
<p>She didn't care for the sly tone in his voice. "Not even a little."</p>
<p>"Word on the street is that you've been telling people you like me." He waggled his eyebrows.</p>
<p>"What - no - how?" she spluttered.</p>
<p>"This kitty's got his ear to the ground, princess."</p>
<p>"You're with someone already."</p>
<p>He rubbed the back of his head with one claw. "Well, yes. You can imagine that it's a little embarrassing to hear that my good friend Marinette is crushing-"</p>
<p>"I'm not!" she cried, and then, glancing at the trap door, she continued in a quieter voice. "It was a mistake. I was flustered. It was just that stupid photo." Her mind raced. "Who tattled?"</p>
<p>He shrugged. "Couldn't say. It may not have even been the person you told. You know how rumors work. Besides, if I told you, well, that could compromise my identity."</p>
<p>Convenient, she thought irritably, that he pulls out the secret identity card for something like that. It had to have been Alya or Lila. They were both blabbermouths. But Alya would have blabbed on the Ladyblog, which Marinette knew she didn't.</p>
<p>"Listen," he said, the teasing tone suddenly gone. "I know I made you send out that picture, but it was just in good fun. I just wanted you to get out more with your friends. And I think it worked."</p>
<p>"It did," she said, and was reminded again that despite his flirty, over-the-top attitude, he did care.</p>
<p>"But we really can't date, Marinette. At least, not as cat Noir. We can't even be seen to be friends. That's why I'm so quick to try to scurry inside." He gestured at the window. "It's not safe. If Hawk Moth ever found out that I care for you - even just as a friend - he would use you to try to get to me." His gaze took on an earnest quality as he continued, "I don't think I could handle something like that. I need you to be safe."</p>
<p>Marinette's mind was racing. "I've been the target of akumas before, Cat. It doesn't matter. Ladybug would undo all the damage afterward anyway."</p>
<p>"I'm not concerned about akumas. At least not an ordinary akuma attack." He frowned. "I'm more concerned that he would take you hostage."</p>
<p>Marinette couldn't keep the incredulity from her face. "Really? You know akumas have seriously poor impulse control. They don't really think clearly enough to follow Hawk Moth's orders enough to abduct someone. And I seriously doubt he would let an akuma anywhere near his lair – not when the heroes would be on the loose."</p>
<p>Cat's frown deepened into frustration. "Really? You're arguing with me? Who's the superhero here? I think I would no better than you what akumas are capable of. Besides, I'm thinking of sentimonsters. They're under the direct control of Mayura. They'll do exactly as ordered. And maybe you haven't noticed, but Hawk Moth's using a lot more sentimonsters recently."</p>
<p>Marinette was ready to argue back, fired up at having been challenged, but Cat's words - the more she turned them over, the more they disturbed her. Of course she'd seen Hawk Moth using sentimonsters more. She hadn't thought much of it - only that he was perhaps trying a different approach. But he usually at least tried to combine sentimonsters and akumas together. Logically that had a higher chance of success than one or the other on their own. But it was as if he'd abandoned akumas altogether. But why? Ever since Miracle Queen, and for quite awhile before that, Hawk Moth's efforts had been lack-luster. Of course, she'd had no idea he'd been building up to the Miracle Queen attack. And now, with the sentimonsters, it too surely had to be a prelude to something else. But again, why sentimonsters?</p>
<p>"They're more controllable," she mumbled to herself. "But they're acting just as out of control as any old akuma. Why use sentimonsters then? What makes them different from akumas?"</p>
<p>"Marinette?" Cat was looking at her strangely. "You okay?"</p>
<p>She looked up and fixed him with her gaze. "Cat, I think you're onto something," she said finally.</p>
<p>"Huh?"</p>
<p>"The sentimonsters," she began. "Hawk Moth's switched exclusively to sentimonsters over the past month. Why? They haven't been any harder to beat than akumas. What's the difference?"</p>
<p>"Uh, how would you know?" His anger had bled away to reveal only confusion.</p>
<p>"I watch the news," she said quickly. "The sentimonsters do less damage, and they're de-evilized within five minutes of you and Ladybug showing up on scene. It used to take you guys longer. Honestly, nowadays you look kind of bored."</p>
<p>"So you are a fan." He flexed his biceps.</p>
<p>Marinette rolled her eyes. "Focus, chaton. What's different about Hawk Moth's attacks? What's he aiming for?"</p>
<p>"They're further away now." Cat shrugged. "They used to happen a lot closer to-" He shook his head. "Sorry, almost gave a personal detail away. Anyway, it now takes a few minutes for me to get to the attack. Let me tell you, it's a pain and a half. There I am, minding my own business in the litter box-"</p>
<p>But Marinette had tuned him out. Of course, she hadn't even realized. She'd been using Kaalki to teleport to and from battles. She'd never even thought about the distance and what that could mean. How many battles had it been already? Fifteen? Twenty? The more she thought about it, the more terrified she became. How many more before Hawk Moth triangulated Cat's position? What other resources was Hawk Moth throwing at the problem to narrow down the search for their secret identities?</p>
<p>"Cat, how are you getting to the battles with the sentimonsters?"</p>
<p>He opened his mouth to make a joke - she could see it in the lines on his face- but then he stopped, the worry on her face spreading onto his. "I go by rooftop."</p>
<p>"From home?"</p>
<p>A moment's pause before he quietly said, "Mostly." </p>
<p>"It didn't used to matter. But now, the news stations have time to put helicopters in the air before you get to the battle. Which means they can spot you and the direction you're coming from."</p>
<p>He looked away. "Fuck. I really am an idiot."</p>
<p>The look of dejection in his eyes filled Marinette with pain. She scooted over and cupped his face in her hand. "You're not an idiot. But we do need to solve this problem."</p>
<p>"We?" he echoed.</p>
<p>"We," she affirmed. "I'm your friend. Your problems are my problems."</p>
<p>He nodded and looked down at his interlaced claws. "Thank you, Marinette. But I still think you should stay out of it. I'll bring this up with Ladybug. She'll know what to do."</p>
<p>Marinette pursed her lips. Ladybug. It always fell to Ladybug. Inwardly she sighed. She'd have to figure out a plan to deal with this. But already she knew that there was no long-term solution. Hawk Moth could send those sentimonsters anywhere and anytime. If they started coming at night, it'd destroy her. </p>
<p>An hour ago, she was comforted in the knowledge that they had at least months. Now, she didn't even know if they had days. Were they closing in on Cat Noir's location? Did they already know who he was?</p>
<p>"I should go," he said suddenly. "God, I'm so stupid. I'm putting you in danger just being here. If I can't even think to protect myself... there's no telling if I've been spotted coming here." He turned fiercely determined eyes to her. "Marinette, I'm sorry. I can't come here anymore. It's too dangerous."</p>
<p>Too dangerous. That was ironic. If anything, having Hawk Moth target Marinette would mean returning the fights to their home turf, which would theoretically make them safer. Heck, she'd be right at ground zero when the fighting broke out, meaning that she could respond instantly, assuming she didn't get zapped by the akuma while off guard. But she knew that was not an argument she was going to win with him. It wasn't in his nature to let others put themselves at risk if he could help it.</p>
<p>Everything she'd seen of the sentimonsters suggested that they were mindless drones. They were capable of complex interactions, but only if Mayura herself were present, like with the Ladybug imposter. And if Mayura came out, then Hawk Moth would come too. A plan began to form. If they came for her themselves, they'd think they were abducting an innocent little flower when in reality, they'd be holding a viper. All it would take was one swipe of their broach and then Kaalki could teleport her away. That's all it would take. One single surgical strike. One instant of surprise, and this would all be over. Even if she only got one broach, the identity of the holder would be revealed. The other surely would not be far behind. And even if that weren't true, the power of either the peacock or butterfly miraculous could be invaluable in hunting down the other.</p>
<p>"Don't go!" Marinette cried as Cat Noir stood and turned to the window.</p>
<p>He stopped as she leapt to her feet. She slid her phone out of her pocket and fumbled with the camera function blindly. Please let this work.</p>
<p>"I do like you," she said. She looked up into his green eyes. "I - I'm never going to see you again."</p>
<p>"You'll see me on tv," he said.</p>
<p>"But not like this." She placed one hand on his chest. Despite the suit, she felt his warmth, his strength, the beat of his suddenly pounding heart. "Kiss me, Cat Noir."</p>
<p>"Marinette-"</p>
<p>She leaned up and closed her eyes and pressed her lips to his, stifling any further protest. Instinctively, he slid his claws down until they rested on her hips. She lifted up the camera, keeping her arm as steady as possible, and prayed this worked as she tried taking a picture. The click of the camera was like a thunderclap to her ears. Or maybe that was the kiss. She couldn’t quite tell.</p>
<p>Her pounding heart slowed as she pulled away, her phone deftly navigated back to her pocket. Cat opened his eyes and looked at her as if he’d never seen her before.</p>
<p>"Marinette," he said, and there was no mistaking the wonder and, perhaps... was that desire? In his voice. </p>
<p>She lifted her fingers up and touched his lips as if to make sure they were real - that she'd really kissed him.</p>
<p>"I - I have to go." He took an unsteady step back as if he didn't know who he was looking at anymore. His cheeks were stained crimson, and the heat of his body had seemed to go up a notch, and his heart had beat as intensely as hers. He vanished through the window in a move she could barely track with her merely human eyes. She absently touched her fingers to her own lips. She'd really done that. More than the kiss even, was his reaction. The knowledge that she'd evoked such a powerful response from another person.</p>
<p>She slipped her phone out of her pocket and checked her camera roll. There it was. Slightly crooked, but clear with both their faces in the frame, showing them kissing. Her fingers seemed to move of their own accord, tapping the share button and selecting Alya. She tapped out a short text: Make it official.</p>
<p>for a moment, her finger hovered over the send key. If she did this, there was no telling what the repercussions would be. Cat Noir would almost certainly feel betrayed. And her parents wouldn't be happy about it either. She'd be betraying the trust of the last few people she had in her life. For all she knew, Hawk Moth would never notice or care. It could all be for nothing. And if he did notice... if he did care... then she'd be putting herself and her loved ones in grave danger. She sent out a silent prayer for forgiveness to Cat Noir. To Maman and to Papa. For despite all the downsides, excitement was bubbling inside. And as she pressed down on the send key, one thought kept shining in her mind.</p>
<p>Come and get me, Hawk Moth.</p>
<p>#</p>
<p>Adrien was sitting straight-backed at the breakfast table, as he nibbled his way through his brunch, which consisted of two poached eggs, one slice of whole grain rye toast, and half a grapefruit. The tribulations of being a model. It wouldn't have been so bad if it weren't for the fact that he was forced to endure lo-cal breakfasts like this everyday. Not that he was dwelling on brunch at the moment. Rather, he was dwelling on last night.</p>
<p>She kissed me. He could still feel the tingle of her warm, soft lips on his. Marinette kissed me.</p>
<p>But I have a girlfriend. She knows I have a girlfriend. But then again, from her perspective, it might've been her last chance to have that kiss. And who was to know? He was the one in her bedroom. He was the one leaving her.</p>
<p>Still, she'd never struck him as the type to be so bold as to kiss a boy, so the whole thing just felt so confusing. "Camembert for your thoughts?" whispered Plagg from his shirt pocket.</p>
<p>"She kissed me."</p>
<p>"Forget I asked." Plagg swiped the camembert anyway before retreating back into the pocket. The gnashing of the kwami's tiny teeth reverberated through his chest as he carefully sliced his poached egg into quarters.</p>
<p>She kissed me. The memory was more intense than any other in recent history. It was as if his mind had recorded the kiss in 4k resolution at a million frames per second. He could see with sparkling clarity every movement, every expression. He could picture her eyelashes fluttering closed, the faint spatter of freckles, the tint to her soft cheeks, her lips ever so slightly parted - stop that, he scolded himself as his own body responded to the memory.</p>
<p>It was as if the kiss had somehow reshaped reality so that the before-Marinette was somehow different from the after-Marinette. The before-Marinette was a sweet friend that was kind of clumsy and tended to babble. The after-Marinette was a girl. A beautiful, warm, sensuous girl that he hadn't been able to stop thinking about.</p>
<p>It's hormones, he told himself. It's just hormones. You have a girlfriend. Besides, Cat Noir's not ever going to see her again anyway.</p>
<p>His father came strolling toward him with purpose, a sight that pulled his attention from his internal strife. Was he going to eat with Adrien today? Hope tinged with resentment bubbled inside. But no, Nathalie swooped in, tablet in hand, finger stabbing at the screen. His father stared expressionlessly at the tablet for a moment before turning about sharply and heading away. Hope waned, but the resentment swelled a little bit more.</p>
<p>Adrien's attention was pulled away by the buzzing of his phone. He pulled it out and stared at the text from Nino. Dude, you gotta see this. Ladyblog's exploding.</p>
<p>Curious. Nothing had happened in a couple of days to warrant Ladyblog activity. He tapped the link and stared. And stared. And stared some more.</p>
<p>CAT NOIR FINDS TRUE LOVE, read the heading. And there, in high definition picture quality, was him kissing Marinette. In her bedroom. His heart began to thump in his chest. His cheeks grew hot. His mouth opened of its own accord.</p>
<p>She kissed me, and she fucking posted it all over the fucking internet.</p>
<p>#</p>
<p>"Himomsorrygottagobye!"</p>
<p>Sabin watched Marinette breeze out of the bakery with worried eyes. Tom, bless him, was humming obliviously behind her. </p>
<p>"Do you think she's okay?" Sabin asked.</p>
<p>"Mmm?" Tom said. "Who, dear?"</p>
<p>"Marinette." Her voice had a little more bite to it than she'd intended. Not that Tom noticed.</p>
<p>"She seems fine to me," he said, not looking up from the bananas he was slicing.</p>
<p>Sabin sighed. "Yes, well, she was expelled, remember?"</p>
<p>Tom paused, as if sensing his wife's mood for the first time. "Yes," he replied slowly and cautiously. "But she aced the exams. Even if she can't get into the design stream for her next year, she's still demonstrated that she's brilliant."</p>
<p>"Yes, but-" Sabin didn't know how to put her worry into words. "She’s just behaved so strangely. You see how she's always running off, don't you? You see how she's always distracted." You see how sometimes, if you listen carefully, it sounds like she's talking to someone in her room sometimes, don't you? And that somebody's talking back? Like someone’s there with her… all the time. But Sabin couldn't bring herself to say that last part. Of course Tom wouldn't know. Tom was a heavy man. He could be heard from a mile away. Only Sabin, who was light of foot, could get close to Marinette's door without being heard.</p>
<p>"Yes, well, she's been a busy girl," said Tom. "And it's been a strange couple of years overall. Could you have imagined Akumas and supervillains and superheroes, ma cherie? And that's not even taking into consideration that our darling girl's now rubbing shoulders with superstars like Jagged Stone, or having friends like that Agreste boy. I wouldn't say this in front of her, but I can sympathize with why she might have cheated on that test, or gotten in a fight at school with that other girl. Marinette's so sweet, but she's also been so stressed."</p>
<p>Sabin looked down at the batter. It was a little overmixed now. "I don't know, Tom. I'm... something's not right. Call it motherly intuition. I feel it. She's hiding things from us."</p>
<p>The thought made something prickle inside. She knew when her sweet baby girl was lying, and she was lying a lot.</p>
<p>"Why is she going to learn martial arts? She's never cared before."</p>
<p>"It's a dangerous city with those akumas," he said. "And remember she was trapped here when I transformed. That must've been quite a scare."</p>
<p>But Sabin didn't believe it. It didn't explain her strange absences. It didn't explain her erratic behavior, or how sometimes she looked like she was dead on her feet. What was she up to that she was so tired all the time? What gave her that haunted, far away  look in her eyes that she got sometimes when she thought no one was paying attention?</p>
<p>"I'm afraid for her," she confessed. "I don't want to think it, but I can't help but wonder if maybe she's mixed up in something."</p>
<p>"Mixed up in something?" Tom repeated, as if the words were a foreign language he was trying to decipher.</p>
<p>Sabin thought of that Jagged Stone. A rocker. Those types were supposed to be bad news. What kind of a sane person kept a crocodile as a pet? "What if she's in a gang? Or doing drugs? I don't want to think it, Tom. Not about our sweet Marinette." She swallowed a lump in her throat. "I just don't know."</p>
<p>Tom washed his hands and came over to hold her. "We'll talk to her," he said firmly. "Tonight when she gets home. Whatever's going on with her, we'll talk to her until we get to the bottom of it. Understanding and communication. Those are the keys to love, ma cherie. It's never steered us wrong, and it won't steer us wrong with our daughter."</p>
<p>Sabin nodded. Yes, of course. Tom was right. They would sit Marinette down and talk to her. As soon as she got home.</p>
<p>"Cherie, you have two missed calls and three texts," Tom said as he passed the hall table and peered at her phone. "All in the last ten minutes."</p>
<p>Sabin washed her hands and came over to unlock her phone. They were all from Nadja. "She's asking why we didn't tell her about Marinette," Sabin murmured, puzzled. "She wants... an interview?" Sabin got to the photo. "Oh," she said.</p>
<p>Tom peered over her shoulder. 'Well that's a... wait - last night? But Marinette was in-"</p>
<p>"-her room," Sabin finished. Her mind began to race to put dots together. "Cat Noir can come in through the balcony. We would never know."</p>
<p>Tom frowned. A pregnant silence filled the space between them. "But he said  he didn't have feelings for her."</p>
<p>Sabin whirred her lip, nearly dropping the phone when it began to ring again in her hand. It was Nadja.</p>
<p>They exchanged an uncertain glance.</p>
<p>#</p>
<p>Ten... twenty... thirty.... Marinette delivered a series of fast high kicks against the kicking bag. Once she got to fifty, she started with the other leg.</p>
<p>"Your form is excellent," Sylvain said. "Your power, reflexes and control are all solid. I haven't noticed you falling into bad habits in at least two weeks."</p>
<p>"Does that mean I can start sparring?"</p>
<p>"yes."</p>
<p>"Yes!" Marinette jumped in the air.</p>
<p>There was a look of mixed amusement and pride on Sylvain's face. "I think that's enough for today."</p>
<p>Marinette bounced over to the locker rooms where she showered and changed. She could hardly believe how much of an impact her martial arts training had wrought. It'd been ten weeks, and she felt like a new person. She could imagine what it would be like in a year. She felt like she had energy all the time, and even a simple think like running up the stairs felt easy, like she was bursting with power. Before, she'd only felt this way when she was Ladybug, and while her Ladybug powers  from then still eclipsed her physical prowess as Marinette now, it still didn't change the fact that the gap was so much less. She was actually starting to have to hold back during Hawk Moth's attacks, lest she throw a sentimonster through a building.</p>
<p>She was on the bus heading home when the world turned sideways. Her arms shot out on instinct, catching the nearest handlebar, her body pivoting around it as the bus went careening on its side into a cement median. The impact yanked her from the bar and pitched her onto the ground. Cries of pain and fear ricocheted around her. A shard of broken glass sliced her cheek open - possibly the only thing keeping her from passing out when someone accidently kicked her in the head.</p>
<p>She scrambled to her feet, standing on the window. Her mind tunneled down to the singular need of escaping. There, the emergency rooftop hatch.</p>
<p>Marinette muscled past a middle-aged couple. Out. She needed to get out. The damage would all be fixed. If only she could just get out. She popped the hatch and propelled herself through, heedless of the extra cuts and abrasions she was collecting. Her cheek was screaming something fierce as the wind tugged on the flap of loose skin.</p>
<p>Keep moving.</p>
<p>"Where are you, Marinette? I've been looking for you."</p>
<p>Marinette didn't recognize the voice, but she knew the tone - akuma. She leaned against the bus to let her legs sort themselves out. Adrenalin was pumping, so she couldn't stop for long. All around her, boxwood rose up to the height of ten feet. No alleys to escape to. Nowhere to hide. Her only hope was to hold out until Cat Noir got here and prayed he ferried her to safety. Though whether he would was another question. Depended on how pissed he was at her.</p>
<p>Well, she thought, you did ask for this.</p>
<p>Sensing the akuma, Marinette ducked around the side of the bus.</p>
<p>"Come out come out wherever you are. There's nowhere to hide."</p>
<p>Normally Ladybug would at least try to talk to the villain, but she couldn't afford to do that here. She needed every advantage she could get. She circled around to the underside of the bus. Some sort of pipe had been cut, and liquid was leaking out.</p>
<p>The others who'd spilled out of the bus began to shout anew in fear. She thought she heard some of them trying to run away. There was a series of whoosh-zapping sounds from the other side. </p>
<p>The akuma has a ranged weapon, Marinette thought grimly. That probably meant it was weaker in melee. She gave an experimental tug on the rear wheel. Good enough. She hauled herself up. Legs braced against the underside, she peeked over the edge. She just barely caught sight of the top of a witch's hat. The akuma was ambling around to the back of the bus. This was it. Her one chance.</p>
<p>She gave only a cursory glance to the victims of the akuma, who were all laying on their backs in an unnatural position of repose, the rise and fall of their chests even and rhythmic, all of it suggesting an unnatural sleep of some kind.</p>
<p>Marinette hoisted herself onto the bus and lunged the moment she had steady footing. The akuma managed to duck, Marinette's feet knocking her hat off before hitting the ground. She crouched to absorb the impact, but sprung up immediately in a single fluid motion, whirling to deliver a powerful roundhouse, her booted heel boring into the akuma's solar plexus like a piston.</p>
<p>"Oof!" the akuma choked out. Tears sprang to her eyes, and her wand fell from nerveless fingers. Marinette was just crouching to grab the wand when arms like steel cords wrapped taut around her, hauling her away.</p>
<p>"Wait!" Marinette cried, kicking futilely in the air. Her captor's arms tightened, claws just breaking skin as he bounded away.</p>
<p>The akuma, red-faced and full of rage, fumbled the wand into her hands and fired rapid bursts of multi-colored magic.</p>
<p>The hedges in their path rose high into the air another twenty feet, causing Cat Noir to twist in mid-air to protect Marinette with his body as they crashed into it.</p>
<p>His body punched partway through the brush, not quite able to protect Marinette, who was scratched all along her arms and legs, her tank top and knee-length skirt doing nothing to protect her. The hedge reformed, springing them back out and onto the street.</p>
<p>Cat Noir let her go, instinctively rolling out of the path of a spell. The akuma was furious, trying to fire at both of them and hitting neither. But then Marinette spotted the tell-tale glow of a purple butterfly over her face, and she directed her attention to Cat Noir.</p>
<p>"No!" she cried. He was their only hope now. Marinette darted in front of the spell. "Break the akum-"</p>
<p>The spell struck, and she knew no more.</p>
<p>#</p>
<p>Ten minutes earlier.</p>
<p>"How could she do this?" Adrien paced back and forth in his room. </p>
<p>Plagg seemed unusually taciturn.</p>
<p>Adrien stopped. "Well?"</p>
<p>"Well what?" Plagg asked a little uncomfortably. "She's a... crazy fan girl."</p>
<p>"I just...." He shook his head. "I expected so much more from her. What was she thinking? She knew it was a risk to be seen with me. Why would she plaster that photo everywhere?"</p>
<p>Plagg was privately asking himself the same question. What the hell was Ladybug thinking doing that. "Maybe she didn’t realize-“</p>
<p>"No!" Adrien started pacing again. "She took that picture without my permission. She planned it. She did her best to make sure I didn't see it. How could I be so dense? How'd I not notice I was being photographed by the girl I was kissing at that very moment?"</p>
<p>"Must've been some kiss."</p>
<p>"This is no time for jokes! Plagg, what do I do?"</p>
<p>Plagg shrugged.</p>
<p>Conversation ceased as Adrien's phone let out a high-pitched whine. Akuma alert. A text with the location and some basic details was given. He sighed. "Plagg, claws out."</p>
<p>#</p>
<p>"So it's actually an akuma this time," he muttered as he stood on the roof of the College Francoise Dupont. The exterior walls of the building were covered in dense thick brambles not unlike when he faced Were-Dad. He leapt over the nearest wall of foliage and down to the ground. People littered the street, all laying down in a parody of sleep. He tried to wake one up, but it was no use. Not unexpected. A quick glance around and he resigned himself to leaping back up to the top. He followed the trail of bodies.</p>
<p>Strange. It'd been five minutes since the alert, and still no Ladybug. He followed the bodies down the street to - he let out a frustrated sigh.</p>
<p>The Dupain-Cheng bakery was completely gone, buried under a tower of dense greenery. He stared at it a moment. It was the only building  to be so heavily entombed.</p>
<p>"If I were a betting cat," he said aloud in the silence, "I'd say this akuma has it in for Marinette."</p>
<p>The faint sound of screams carried on the air. He turned and bounded in its direction, using his staff to vault high into the air, arcing over buildings and alighting on the lip of La Brasserie. Below him lay a scene of devastation. Ten foot high hedges enclosed a block-long stretch of roadway in the middle of which lay a bus that'd been tipped over. His gaze zeroed in on Marinette, who was hoisting herself onto the bus. His breath caught in his throat at the sight of her face half-covered in blood as she gained her footing and then turned and leapt... right at the akuma.</p>
<p>There was a timeless moment wherein Marinette seemed to hang, suspended in mid-jump. Cat took it all in, yet unable to move. The frighteningly fierce expression of his girl, the startled, wide eyes of the akuma. And then Marinette was overshooting.</p>
<p>Move! His mind screamed. She's going to get herself killed. And there's no Ladybug to save her.</p>
<p>Cat leapt, his eyes trained on Marinette, watching her turn from her landing crouch and kick the akuma right in the gut. But his mind had tunneled down to the singular thought of getting her out of there. An instant later, his arms were wrapped possessively around her and then they were away to safety.</p>
<p>He had time only to twist his body on instinct when the hedges shot up, suddenly blocking his path. He ploughed into them, the thorny branches scrabbling futilely against his protected body. Marinette whimpered, not having the same protections. And then they were spilling back out onto the street, again Cat twisting in midair so that she landed on top of him with a whump that stole his breath away. The same magical powers that buffered away harm seemed to extend to her as they rolled away from one another at the enraged shrieks of the akuma.</p>
<p>Spells bracketed him as he got to his feet.</p>
<p>What happened next was a blur. A flash of light, his leg pinned by a creeping tendril of plant matter so he couldn't move, and Marinette's cry and jump to intercept. Cat watched, helpless, as the spell struck her. For an instant, she was bathed in a halo of indigo light, her hair a curtain of warm blue fire. The light dissipated, and she dropped to the ground, her strings cut.</p>
<p>"No!" His voice was a strangled cry. He darted toward her, kneeling, eyes roving over every inch of her. There was a gash across her cheek, blood all down her face and shirt. Scratches and cuts abraded her arms and legs. And yet all he really saw was her attacking the akuma, and throwing herself in front of him to save him.</p>
<p>"Don't worry, my sweet kitten," Enchantress cackled. "That tramp won't ever bother us again. Now, we can live together forever-"</p>
<p>"Shut up!" he cried. He looked up at the blurry image of the akuma and swiped the angry tear away. "Fix her. If you really love me, you'll wake her up."</p>
<p>Enchantress smirked. "If she loves you, then she won't need me to do anything. All she'll need is a kiss from her true love."</p>
<p>He shouldn't have been arguing with the akuma. He knew it was pointless. But seeing Marinette like that, her natural ebullience drained away by this corpse-like slumber twisted him up inside. Up close, he could see the wound on her cheek. It looked terrible and continued to bleed sluggishly. All the frustration and anger with her had vanished, replaced by a need to see her whole and healthy again.</p>
<p>Ladybug, where are you?</p>
<p>"Well, Cat Noir?" called out Enchantress. "Kiss her, and know the truth. She's not the one that loves you."</p>
<p>I'm just buying time, he thought, brushing blood away from her lips with one delicate paw. "I'm sorry," he murmured, leaning down. He placed a chaste kiss on her lips. Just a whisper of a touch, as soft as the beat of a butterfly's wings. "See! See!" cried Enchantress. "She's a fraud. A two-timing hussy out for your fame, Cat Noir. Come and join me. I'm your first and true and rightful love. You will be my king, and I will be your queen and-"</p>
<p>Cat Noir stared, stunned, as color flooded back to Marinette's face. She blinked away the confusion and looked up into his eyes.</p>
<p>Confusion gave way to an expression he couldn't quite place. "Chaton?" The soft, dulcet tone of her voice contained a note of unconditional warmth and trust.</p>
<p>"Marinette...."</p>
<p>"What!?" The furious shriek of Enchantress rang out in the empty street. "That's not possible. It's not possible. She can't - I refused to believe it!"</p>
<p>"Let her go!" Cat cried. He scooped Marinette in his arms and turned to leap away, but the thicket grew taller still, curving inward to form a dome, entombing them.</p>
<p>"If I can't have your heart, Cat Noir, then no one will!"</p>
<p>He leapt out of the way of another blast of her wand. He put Marinette down and turned to face the akuma, accepting finally that Ladybug was not coming. He had to break that akumatized item. He darted forward, weaving between spells, deflecting another with his staff.</p>
<p>"Get away!" she shrieked, backing up. Thicket shot up around him. He scrambled over it, using his staff to vault over top and bat away another spell on his descent.</p>
<p>More vines and spells flew fast and furious, but he swatted them all. No motion was wasted. There were no more jokes, no more assessing, no more hesitation.</p>
<p>"Got you!" he cried. jabbing his staff into her stomach, a move eerily similar to what Marinette had done. Enchantress was knocked off her feet, wand tumbling from her fingers yet again. Cat snatched it out of midair and snapped it without hesitation. To heck with waiting for Ladybug. He needed Marinette out of here now.</p>
<p>The dark butterfly fluttered into the air only to be caught by a familiar yoyo. Cat blinked, following the zipping object to his lady, who stood on a nearby hedge. She released the cleansed butterfly into the air and threw the yoyo into the air, crying, "Miraculous ladybug!"</p>
<p>The hedges vanished, ladybugs carrying their mistress gently to the ground. Cat Noir's gaze tracked to Marinette's lone figure. She remained motionless on the ground. He made it one step before Ladybug got in his way.</p>
<p>"Oh no you don't," she exclaimed. "You've done enough damage Casanova. Keep away from her."</p>
<p>"What? No!" He clenched his teeth and looked away, heat creeping up his neck. "Don't even start with me, Ladybug. She wouldn't have been injured if-"</p>
<p>"-if you hadn't been having midnight make out sessions in her bedroom. Back off, Cat." She turned and dashed to Marinette, scooping her in her arms.</p>
<p>"Wait is she okay?" he hollered, but Ladybug was already yoyoing away. "Ladybug! Marinette!"</p>
<p>But it was no use. They were both gone.</p>
<p>#</p>
<p>"That was close."</p>
<p>"Ugh, the cuts didn't heal," Marinette complained, examining her arms and thighs. The wound on the cheek had thankfully closed up save for a small mark where the skin had been cut beneath the mask.</p>
<p>"The suit protects from damage," Tikki said sorrowfully. "But that works both ways as it also interferes with magic. Even the healing power of the cure."</p>
<p>"At least most of the cut was on the exposed part of the skin." A Band-Aid had been slapped over the small remaining cut on her cheek. She scrutinized it in the mirror as if she could discern whether it would leave a scar.</p>
<p>"Cat Noir's going to come back," said Tikki worriedly. "He'll wonder why the wound wasn't fully healed. If he puts two and two together."</p>
<p>"He saw Ladybug and Marinette together today," she cut in. "It'll be fine."</p>
<p>It’d been a minor miracle she’d been able to port back here with Kaalki, feed him, snatch Trixx, port back and use an illusion to fool Cat.</p>
<p>"yes, but-" Tikki cut herself off, but continued to hover about fretfully. "Marinette, I really don't like this plan."</p>
<p>"Why?" Marinette asked. "It's working perfectly. Hawk Moth switched back to a local akuma."</p>
<p>"Yes, but you thought he would expose himself."</p>
<p>"He will," said Marinette confidently. "Today was a probing attack. he wanted to know if Cat and I are serious or if I'm just a delusional fangirl who got lucky."</p>
<p>Tikki looked dubious. "I hope this is all worth it, Marinette. You're playing with fire."</p>
<p>"So long as Hawk Moth burns with me, it’ll all be worth it."</p>
<p>"Marinette? Are you up there, sweetheart?"</p>
<p>"Yes, Maman!"</p>
<p>The trap door was pushed open and her mother poked her head up through. She looked around. Tikki had made herself scarce. "I thought I heard-" She shook herself. "Sweetheart, your father and I would like to speak to you about this business with Cat Noir."</p>
<p>"Mom, there's-" she hesitated. What could she really say? The internet had gone insane with pictures and news reports. Alya had talked her ear off for thirty minutes before accepting that Marinette didn't want to talk about it. She hadn't expected what happened during the morning's akuma attack, and she had no idea quite how to handle it. Really, the pictures and the speculation were enough. She had a feeling that keeping silent would do more to fan the flames than anything else she could have done. Reluctantly, she followed her mother downstairs.</p>
<p>The bakery sign had been closed and locked. Beyond the frosted window, she thought she made out shapes of people moving about.</p>
<p>"Reporters," said her mother.</p>
<p>Papa was slicing croissants and filling them with warm ham and brie. He smiled at her as she approached, but it seemed like a sad sort of smile.</p>
<p>"Have a seat, ma petite."</p>
<p>She looked between them as they busied themselves with putting lunch on the table.</p>
<p>"I assume he's the one who brought you home today?" Her mother seemed to be holding back in her tone.</p>
<p>"Ladybug," Marinette said. "I think she and Cat Noir had a bit of an argument."</p>
<p>Her mother seemed to gear up for the next question. "How long has he been coming over?"</p>
<p>"About six weeks." Marinette nibbled on her lower lip. Strange how she hadn't really put any thought into how she was going to handle her parents.</p>
<p>"Have you - I thought he was just a friend?"</p>
<p>Marinette shrugged. "It's different now that I've been expelled. He wanted to keep me company."</p>
<p>"In your bedroom?" That was Papa.</p>
<p>Marinette blushed. "he's been nothing but courteous. I'm the one that invited him in. He did nothing wrong."</p>
<p>"He should no better, Marinette."</p>
<p>Marinette opened her mouth to argue, but, as she thought about it, it did seem a little odd. Cat Noir had never really explained why he'd taken an interest in her in the first place. He'd just brushed it off with his typical flirty attitude, and she'd accepted it. After all, she already felt close to him and trusted him with her life.</p>
<p>"Who took that photo last night, and who decided to post it on the internet?"</p>
<p>"That was all me," Marinette said evenly. "Cat didn't know I was going to do that."</p>
<p>"That was incredibly reckless of you." Her mother's tone turned stern. "What were you thinking?"</p>
<p>Marinette took a bite from her sandwich to try to give her time to come up with an explanation. The truth was that there was no explanation she could give that wouldn't make her sound crazy. Even the truth was crazy. "I'm sorry, Maman."</p>
<p>"Sorry's not good enough, Marinette," said her father. "This whole thing has gotten out of hand. We had to close the bakery early today. And your mother and I were worried sick about you. And now we don't know how to make it stop unless we send you away from Paris."</p>
<p>"What?" Marinette nearly spat out her food. "Papa, that's ridiculous. Of course you can't send me away. I-"</p>
<p>"We can," he replied, pounding his fist on the table, anger bleeding into his voice for the first time. "This isn't a joke. Your mother and I are talking about all three of us moving."</p>
<p>Marinette pinched the bridge of her nose. "Where?" she asked.</p>
<p>"We have friends in Orleans. They would be willing to take you in for awhile. You'll get a job, and you'll pay them room and board."</p>
<p>"What? You can't! I won't!"</p>
<p>"You can and you will. Marinette, what part of this are you not understanding? The media is not going to let this go. You'll be hounded for weeks. And that's on top of the akuma attacks." He pointed to her cheek. "That was from the attack today, wasn't it?"</p>
<p>"Yes, but-"</p>
<p>"So Ladybug's miracles aren't as miraculous as the television claims. No, I'm not hearing any more excuses."</p>
<p>Her mother put a hand on his arm. "Calm down. We don't want another akuma in the house."</p>
<p>He took a deep breath. "Surely you understand that all this is reasonable, Marinette. We'd thought about moving you after the expulsion too. Now, with that and this Cat Noir business, it makes a lot more sense."</p>
<p>It wouldn't be the end of the world. She would be free of akuma attacks for awhile. In fact, the more she thought about it, the more it seemed to make sense. It would force Hawk Moth to work to her timetable. Right now, she didn't know how long it would take him to decide to crawl out of his little cubby hole. He could throw akuma after akuma at her, all the while planning how best to creep up on her. But if she gave him a deadline by which she would be out of his grasp.... And it wasn't as though she couldn't teleport back to Paris whenever an akuma showed up. If all went according to plan, she might even dispose of Hawk Moth before her appointed departure date, making the whole issue moot.</p>
<p>"Okay," she said finally. "Okay, you're right. I'm sorry."</p>
<p>They both relaxed.</p>
<p>She glanced between them. "When - when are you planning to send me away?"</p>
<p>"We haven't made that decision just yet," her mother said cautiously. "We want to discuss it with you and make sure you're okay with it. We'll call Regine in the morning and see when they might be able to take you. We also have to see about enrolling you in school there. September's only a few weeks away."</p>
<p>So she had time. Not that it mattered. She didn't need to actually move. She only needed to telegraph to Hawk Moth that she was moving. Which meant getting that info out there. Would posting it on the Ladyblog be enough? Did Hawk Moth read the Ladyblog? The very idea brought a smile to her lips. One she wiped away quickly at the sour expressions of her parents.</p>
<p>"No more visits with Cat Noir in your bedroom," said her father.</p>
<p>She hesitated. "We've done nothing wrong, Papa."</p>
<p>"Nothing wrong?" he exclaimed. "Marinette, you and him have endangered your life. How in the world can you not see that as having done nothing wrong? I'm sorry, Marinette. We cannot trust you like we used to. I hope you understand."</p>
<p>"I... understand." She trudged back to her room and flopped onto her chaise.</p>
<p>"That could've gone better," Tikki said.</p>
<p>"It'll work out in the end," she muttered. "Once Hawk Moth is gone, I can repair my relationship with my parents. And Cat Noir too."</p>
<p>A moment later, she recognized the distinctive sound of a giant cat landing on her balcony. It was a sound she'd become intimately familiar with over the last several weeks. Marinette turned and exchanged a wide-eyed glance with Tikki. She hadn’t been certain whether he’d come.</p>
<p>Tikki eyed the window warily, as if Cat Noir might leap through it, shattering the glass and the blinds in one mighty blow. But no... not even a rustle of further movement.</p>
<p>"Did I imagine it?" Marinette whispered, respectful of his enhanced hearing.</p>
<p>Tikki shook her head tersely. </p>
<p>Long seconds passed in silent expectation, but there came no knock at her bedroom window. Finally, Tikki made a shooing motion, as if to urge Marinette to go up herself. She martialed her courage and climbed the ladder to her bed. A minute later, she was hoisting herself partway through the window to peer about. A dark figure stood motionless, the setting sun casting his feline ears aglow. There'd always been a type of coiled energy to Cat. It was as if he'd been brimming with so much power that he couldn't contain it all, and it caused him to always be in motion - to be so expressive with every part of his body. But now, he stood motionless, as if he'd been frozen in time.</p>
<p>Steeling herself still more, she scrambled the rest of the way onto her balcony and approached hesitantly. "Cat?"</p>
<p>Nothing changed in his demeanor except that his tail twitched with agitation. She half-expected him to turn and hiss at her.</p>
<p>"Why?" he asked finally.</p>
<p>There was no answer she could give him that wasn't a lie. The fact was it'd been Ladybug in the driver seat last night, not Marinette. She was tired of this fight with Hawk Moth. Tired of the fear. But Cat Noir wouldn't understand that without context.</p>
<p>Strangely, unlike everyone else in her life, she didn't want to lie about this to him. "It's not your job to protect me," she said finally. "I'm a big girl, and I can take care of myself."</p>
<p>He turned his head slightly so that he was in profile, but he still didn't look at her. "I don't even know what to say."</p>
<p>She took a step forward. "Say you forgive me. Say that you'll still come over."</p>
<p>A heavy silence filled the air at her declaration. Eventually he said, "I'll still protect you... but I can't come over. This really is the final time. I thought I could trust you."</p>
<p>The Cat Noir that stood before her was radically different to the Cat Noir that she knew. She hadn't expected this quiet, almost dead response. She'd expected pacing and shouting and wild gesticulations. She expected demands and promises. She didn't expect an ending.</p>
<p>Upset, and not even sure why, she said, "Well you don't have to worry, Cat. You'll never have to see me again. Not even to protect me." </p>
<p>Something in her tone had him looking at her directly for the first time.</p>
<p>"My parents are sending me away from Paris. I'll be gone before September. I'll be completely safe and completely out of your life."</p>
<p>She turned away, suddenly angry. She didn't even know why this was bothering her. She'd gotten what she wanted. She had Hawk Moth's attention. Had dangled a prize of great value in front of him, and now was giving him a short deadline in which to force him to act on it. Seeing Cat Noir wasn't necessary. It wasn't even desirable. If anything, she needed him out of the picture so she was free to get close to Hawk Moth with his guard down.</p>
<p>And yet.... She'd come to look forward to his visits. They were special and precious, even if she couldn't quite articulate why. And the fact that he didn't seem to care about it - that he was willing to throw it away for some ephemeral fear had hurt.</p>
<p>She made to go back inside when suddenly Cat was there in front of her, blocking her path. She looked up at him, startled. Any sort of response was sucked from her at his troubled expression. He raised one paw and delicately touched the bandage on her cheek. "What's this?"</p>
<p>"Why do you care?" she asked. Of course, she thought, her mind racing. Out of everyone, he would be the one to ask questions about her injury. He would know that it was unusual, impossible even.</p>
<p>"Is that... from this morning?"</p>
<p>She nodded tightly. "Yeah." She braced herself for the follow-up interrogation, but it never came.</p>
<p>"It's like you don't even care that you could've died." His voice was so sad, it made something inside her ache with sympathy.</p>
<p>She reached up and clasped his hand in hers, gently pulling it away from her face, but not letting go. "Paris is my city too. I love it. And I hate what Hawk Moth is doing to it. And I'm afraid, Cat." Now that she'd said it, the rest of the truth just came forth, unbidden and unstoppable. "I'm afraid I'm going to wake up one morning, and you'll be gone. That Hawk Moth will have won, and I won't even have had a chance to save you."</p>
<p>Cat Noir turned blurry all of a sudden, and it was only after he used a knuckled to wipe away a tear she realized she'd started crying.</p>
<p>"I don't understand. Why do you care so much? About me?"</p>
<p>She knew deep down what he was really asking. Her feelings for him went beyond whatever a reasonable person in her shoes should have felt for someone in his position. He was the appointed protector of Paris, and she was an acquaintance. Nothing more. Only he didn't know - couldn't know. All the feelings that she'd bottled up inside. The weight of the miracle box. The things Ladybug couldn't say or feel, and which were now bleeding through Marinette.</p>
<p>She'd only been dimly aware that him coming to her as Marinette had perforated the tenuous bubble she'd sealed herself in. The real her had been leaking out all this time, transpiring into the air where it could no longer be contained. All the tightly held feelings. The thoughts that, if she'd spent any time examining, would have broken her. If she lost him, she didn't think she could continue. Not as Ladybug.</p>
<p>He'd been the one who'd given her strength when she'd lost hope on Hero's Day. He'd been the one she'd cried on when Hawk Moth had taken the miracle box. The very thought that he might not've been there made her seize up. To dread the thought that he too could be turned against her.</p>
<p>She'd barely had time to process what Chat Blanc had truly meant. The fight had been too unreal. Paris ruined. Her transported to the future. But in the weeks that followed, the implications had slowly worked their way through her system, eating her up from the inside, filling her with a quiet panic that made her every molecule vibrate with the need to act. To save Paris, and him, and, in the process, to save herself.</p>
<p>She responded with a question of her own. "Why did you start coming here if you were just going to leave me at the slightest bit of trouble?"</p>
<p>A silence expanded as they both turned toward the chasm that existed between them.</p>
<p>"You slinked your way into my life," she said finally. "Why? Was it because you pitied me? Was it all just a game to you? Why, Cat?"</p>
<p>"No." His response was vehement, visceral and immediate. "Of course not. I do care about you."</p>
<p>Marinette took a step forward. She was close enough to feel his body heat. Close enough that she had to tilt her head up to meet his gaze. "I'm not some fainting flower, Cat. I can handle a little punishment. Tell me the truth. What am I to you?"</p>
<p>#</p>
<p>"What am I to you?"</p>
<p>"You really know how to go for the jugular, don't you, princess." he murmured, echoing her words from weeks ago.</p>
<p>In truth, Cat was panicking, because there was no answer he could give her that wouldn't sound insane. Adrien had been worried. Adrien had wanted to reach out. But Adrien and Marinette had never been anything but painful and awkward with one another, save for brief, fleeting moments of understanding. Adrien and Marinette had been like a broken television signal, patches of meaning slipping through the static. But Cat Noir and Marinette had had something. A bond that seemed as strong and as steady as the twinkling of stars. It'd been there from the first time they'd run into each other. It'd seemed only natural that Cat could be the one to spend time with her. Cat could succeed where Adrien had failed.</p>
<p>But even that didn't fully explain it. Because Cat knew deep down that it wasn't pity that had driven him. Marinette was bright and funny and sassy, even. He'd always seen something in her that had drawn him in. Something playful and strong, but also sweet and compassionate. Whereas Ladybug would beat bad guys down to protect the innocent, Marinette would extend a hand to lift the downtrodden up. It was as if they were two sides of the same coin. They were both protecting Paris one action at a time. Only today, he'd seen a side of Marinette he'd never seen before. It was as if Ladybug had been shining through her. The way she'd been bloodied and battered and had still taken on that akuma. And not just taken on, but acquitted herself. And it wasn't even the first time. And even after he'd intervened, realizing only after the fact that he'd made a hash of things - even then, she'd leapt in front of him - taken a hit so he could do his job.</p>
<p>"The truth is," he said finally, "you mean a lot to me, and... I don't want to stop seeing you."</p>
<p>"Then don't stop." She took a final step toward him and wrapped her arms around him.</p>
<p>Careful not to scratch her, he wrapped his arms around her. "But Hawk Moth-"</p>
<p>"Fuck Hawk Moth."</p>
<p>Cat snorted. He didn't think he'd ever heard anyone say that about the supervillain that terrified all of Paris. "You're not afraid of anything, are you?"</p>
<p>She looked up at him with those eyes of searing blue fire. "I've already told you what I'm afraid of, Chaton."</p>
<p>He swallowed and nodded. "Yeah, I guess you did, princess."</p>
<p>#</p>
<p>Gabriel scrolled through the video footage frame by frame. One of the perks of being a fashion designer was having state of the art photo and video editing and enhancement software. He zoomed as much as possible, the image of Cat Noir's head leaning over the Dupain-Cheng girl filling the screen. He studied the image. It did look like a tear. Cat Noir was actually crying. Some people could cry on command, but he doubted cat Noir was a good enough actor or that he would have reason to fake it under those conditions.</p>
<p>"All she'll need is a kiss from her true love." came the tinny voice of the akuma through the speakers.</p>
<p>And in any case, Gabriel knew for certain that only a kiss from someone the girl loved could have brought her back from the enchanted sleep. So her feelings at the very least were real. He scrolled forward, but the image of the girl vanished as dense vegetation filled the camera's view. He rewound the footage back to the brief but incredible fight.</p>
<p>there, Dupain-Cheng leapt, landed and kicked the akuma hard enough to knock the akumatized item from her hand. Incredible. He was intimately familiar with the powers of his akumas. This one was not particularly strong, but the magical costume would have provided some protection from physical harm. The fact that the girl had executed a kick powerful enough to overwhelm the akuma's protections was startling.</p>
<p>He paused again and leaned forward to study what happened next more closely. There, the girl was reaching for the wand. She was a fraction of a second from defeating the akuma all by herself. No powers. No help from anyone else.</p>
<p>Oh what an excellent pawn she would make. If only he could get his hooks in her. She was determined to be resilient beyond all measure. Even now, he couldn’t sense her negativity despite the tumult in her life.</p>
<p>His phone buzzed, drawing his attention. Nathalie.</p>
<p>“Yes?” he asked, putting her on speaker.</p>
<p>“There’s been an update on the Ladyblog. It appears Mademoiselle Dupain-Cheng plans to leave Paris.”</p>
<p>“When?” came his quick, sharp reply.</p>
<p>“Within two weeks.”</p>
<p>Gabriel clenched his teeth. Two weeks was not enough time. Not to akumatize her at any rate. He also didn’t miss Nathalie’s choice of words. She could very leave earlier.</p>
<p>Nathalie, no doubt intuiting his struggle, added, “Perhaps it would be simplest if Mayura went and retrieved her.”</p>
<p>Tempting. Oh so tempting. He could break her at his leisure. Yet it would also be risky. What if the heroes were watching? Mayura would be at risk of being caught, and if she failed,  the girl would be placed forever outside his grasp. Best to leave abduction as a tool of last resort.</p>
<p>He played the video over again. She'd almost captured the akumatized object. The angle had been taken from one of the passengers inside the bus, who'd been pressed up to the rear window, giving a perfect view. Dupain-Cheng's fingers were just inches from the wand when leather-clad arms scooped her up and whisked her away. If it'd been anyone else, surely Cat Noir would have realized the tactical advantage that should've been glaringly obvious to a veteran akuma fighter like him. But no, he'd acted to secure Marinette first, ignoring the easy victory.</p>
<p>What he needed was to keep her in Paris indefinitely. In time, the heroes would grow complacent, Cat Noir’s affections for the girl would deepen, and, all the while, he could slowly draw her into his sphere of influence, priming her for her eventual akumatization.</p>
<p>Then he would break their love. The depth of her despair would empower her to heights greater than any he'd achieved so far. And with her native talents - strength, intelligence, creativity, resourcefulness - she would become his masterpiece. And if by some miracle, she still failed, then perhaps throwing her broken, battered body at Cat Noir’s feet would net him Cat Noir as an akuma.</p>
<p>Yes, he would have her. One way or another, she would become the instrument of Ladybug's destruction.</p>
<p>“That will not be necessary,” he said finally, “Mademoiselle Dupain-Cheng will not be leaving Paris. Not if I can help it.”</p>
<p>Still gazing at the screen, Cat Noir frozen in a protective crouch over the girl’s body, Gabriel considered how best to solve his problem. Perhaps it was time he had a family bonding moment with his son.</p>
<p>#</p>
<p>"Hello, Adrien." Gabriel took a seat at the head of the dining table. "How are you doing?"</p>
<p>"Good, father." Adrien eyed his father warily. His father had never shown up for breakfast before. Even before his mother’s disappearance, his father devoted his mornings to work.</p>
<p>"It has come to my attention a classmate of yours was expelled from Francoise Dupont for a number of serious offences, which included cheating, violent assault, and theft."</p>
<p>Caught off guard by the unexpected comment, Adrien could only nod and say, “Uh, yeah.” After a second, he realized he needed to say more before his father got the wrong idea. “I mean, Marinette didn’t do any of that.”</p>
<p>"Marinette?" Gabriel appeared to grow thoughtful. "That is a friend of yours, isn't it? The one who won the derby hat contest if I remember correctly. There was an allegation of theft surrounding her then as well, wasn't there?"</p>
<p>Adrien winced. That wasn’t strictly untrue. “She, uh, didn’t do that either.”</p>
<p>“Hmm.” His father took a moment to sip his grapefruit juice. “Tell me, what do you think of Marinette?”</p>
<p>A constellation of words and ideas vied for attention in his brain. Marinette was sweet and shy and clumsy and adorable and hot and – no, wait – hot? She wasn’t hot. Definitely not hot. Pretty, beautiful, even. Lovely. He wrestled his brain into another direction, and, realizing his father was still waiting for a response, blurted out, “Creative. She’s very creative… and hard working, and full of integrity.”</p>
<p>He was about to go on when his father raised a hand to silence him.</p>
<p>“Is it fair to say that you like this girl?”</p>
<p>His lips tingled in remembrance from the warm press of hers on his. “No, of course I don’t like her…. I mean, yes, of course, I like her… as a friend.”</p>
<p>The word friend left an unpleasant, twisting feeling in his stomach.</p>
<p>If his father noticed Adrien’s discomfort, he did an excellent job ignoring it. “Normally, I would discourage you from associating with a girl who bears such a checkered past. However, I cannot help but notice that she performed well yesterday against the akuma. If I am not mistaken, she nearly defeated the villain singlehandedly.”</p>
<p>“She shouldn’t have done that. Supervillains should be left to superheroes.” That sentiment, which he had espoused so vociferously as Cat Noir, suddenly seemed to feel ugly and ill-considered when he said it as Adrien. As if to apologize for his own opinion, he added, "She's been taking martial arts classes since the expulsion."</p>
<p>“Really.” Gabriel's gaze sharpened momentarily before adopting a far away look.</p>
<p>Silence settled over the table. Adrien awkwardly watched his father. Briefly, he wondered what about Marinette learning martial arts could possibly have entranced his father so. His father had never been effusive in his praise of the heroes. Perhaps he liked the idea of ordinary people standing up for Paris? Adrien relaxed fractionally. Of course that must’ve been it. His father had picked himself up by the bootstraps and made himself a fashion mogul from nothing. The idea of fame and power being simply handed to teenagers no doubt did very little to impress him. But an ordinary girl who rose to become extraordinary in the face of adversity would have been totally different.</p>
<p>"Unless you have an objection, we will retain her as a fashion design intern. She will work closely with the art director in those shoots where you are involved.”</p>
<p>Again, Adrien found himself mentally stumbling to try to keep up with another sudden turn in the direction of the conversation. “You want to give Marinette a job?”</p>
<p>"Yes."</p>
<p>"Why would you want her?" He winced internally at how that sounded. Marinette was great. He should be singing her praises. But something he couldn’t articulate was nagging at him.</p>
<p>Before he could dwell on it any further, his father spoke up again. "Do you believe she would be a poor fit?"</p>
<p>"I-" he paused, racking his brain for a reason why this made no sense. Marinette, his personal fashion designer. He just couldn't see it. "She's going to be an akuma magnet. That doesn't sound very safe to me."</p>
<p>His father raised an eyebrow. "Explain."</p>
<p>"If Hawk Moth thinks she's dating Cat Noir, then he's going to throw akumas at her." It felt weird saying this to his father. He'd been obsessing over it so much as Cat Noir that saying it aloud as Adrien felt wrong.</p>
<p>"I don't believe that akumas work that way. Hawk Moth cannot predict where or when he finds his akuma victims," Gabriel explained. "And there will be very few naysayers left after her performance fighting Enchantress, and defending Cat Noir."</p>
<p>Adrien stared at his father for nearly a minute as he processed his father's reasoning. The last twenty-four hours had been an angst-ridden whirlwind of emotions and confusion. To have his father so casually dismiss the whole affair unsettled him. He was Cat Noir. He should know how his enemy's mind worked better than his father. Yet his father had always been an excellent judge of character, and he had an instinctive kneejerk response to follow his lead.</p>
<p>Finally, he moved on, simply asking, "How will it work?" </p>
<p>"She will attend school with you in September. She will coordinate her schedule with Nathalie to ensure that she can perform her duties.”</p>
<p>Any reservations Adrien had about his father’s proposal dissipated as he began to appreciate the implications. All the hurt, all the misfortune, all the consequences that arose from Marinette’s expulsion could be wiped away by a single stroke of his father’s will. Despite the passage of months, the feeling of Marinette’s absence had never quite gone away. Nor had his worry for her, or his feeling of impotence at his inability to help her. Adrien had proven a failure. Cat Noir had proven a failure. Could his father succeed where he himself had utterly failed?</p>
<p>His father continued, "If she proves her skill as a fashion designer, well, such a career would dovetail nicely with yours for many years to come."</p>
<p>The memory of that day in the hallway resurfaced, all the students gathered around her with accusing eyes. The pain in her eyes as she looked to each of her classmates. Her last plea to him of all people to defend her. He'd never heard his name uttered with such need before. And his silence in that moment – it’d haunted him ever since.</p>
<p>"You're right," Adrien said finally. "It makes perfect sense. This will be a win-win situation for both of us." But then he remembered their conversation from the previous evening, and the announcement that’d been made on the Ladyblog. “But she’s not going to be here anymore. Her parents are sending her away.”</p>
<p>"Leave that to me." His father was already getting to his feet and turning to Nathalie to have her make arrangements.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. Chapter 4</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Trigger warning: Lila spikes Marinette's drink at the Ladyblog party.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>A couple days later, Marinette was back at the gym locker getting ready for her next training session. This was going to be the day she started sparring for real, and she was full of nervous excitement. She finished pulling her hair back and looping it through an elastic. She studied herself in the mirror. The wound on her face had healed quickly. True to form, the passive magic of her miraculous had worked wonders, healing in a couple of days what should have taken a couple of weeks. Nevertheless, a scar had remained - a slight discoloration of the skin - a dark tear-track running from the corner of her left eye, curving downward about half an inch. Once upon a time, such a disfiguration, no matter how small, would have diminished her in some way. But now, it felt more like a resolution. A reminder and a promise of her duty to free Paris from Hawk Moth. </p>
<p>Marinette finished getting ready, taking a moment to admire the muscle tone as she flexed and extended her arm this way and that.</p>
<p>Not a minute after leaving the locker room, she was pulled aside by her trainer, who led her to a small office.</p>
<p>Sit," he said as he settled himself behind a desk.</p>
<p>"Yes, sir?" She'd never been pulled aside like this, but nevertheless waited patiently, trusting there was something of importance that warranted a private discussion.</p>
<p>He pulled up a browser on the desktop, turning the screen so they could both view it. To her surprise, he navigated to the Ladyblog and replayed footage from the akuma fight. Specifically, the part where she leapt off the bus and kicked the akuma.</p>
<p>"That was a beautifully executed attack," he said, tapping the screen for emphasis. The image was paused on her outstretched leg, the akuma folded over, an expression of pain visible on her face. Your balance is good, you twisted from the crouch, transferring all your momentum perfectly. No one I know could have done that with your level of training. It looks as though you've been fighting a long time. Just the fact that you were able to keep your head in the fight against a supervillain speaks volumes."</p>
<p>The more he spoke, the redder Marinette became. This was the first time she'd been given praise for the fight, and it'd blind-sided her. In her mind, she'd partitioned the fighting part of her life as belonging to Ladybug. Even the martial arts training was part of her goal to fight Hawk Moth. And all the criticism she'd taken she'd borne stoically, telling herself over and over again that nobody could understand. That it was a Ladybug issue. But now, her instructor's praise felt somehow like it belonged to Marinette and Marinette alone.</p>
<p>"Thank you," she said.</p>
<p>"I do hope though that your training here isn't a misguided attempt to take on supervillains," he went on. "I have watched what these supervillains can do, and it is no exaggeration to say that mere humans cannot fight them in most cases."</p>
<p>"Yes, sir."</p>
<p>"Come then. Let's get to the training room."</p>
<p>They walked companionably back to the gym. The moment they stepped through the double doors, Marinette went on alert, sensing something amiss. She scanned the room only to stop, startled.</p>
<p>"SURPRISE!" A chorus of shouts filled the vast space, resonating off the equipment in all directions. A giant banner unfurled from overhead, falling like a curtain to reveal stylized artwork of her drop-kicking an akuma. In giant letters were the words: Marinette: Akuma Hunter</p>
<p>"Oh my God! Thank you! I can't believe it!" She ran forward, alternating between admiring the care that had gone into the banner and the smiles of all the other members and staff at the gym.</p>
<p>Tank, a two hundred eighty pound bruiser, came up to her and gave her a slap on the back that nearly pitched her off her feet. "Didn't believe it until I saw it, pipsqueak," he chortled. "That video was fucking awesome. Never seen anything like it in my life."</p>
<p>After that, congratulations came fast and furious. A soda was put in her hands as she went around to talk to all the people who were there.</p>
<p>"You get that scar from the fight?" That was Sylvia, one of the few women at the gym. She gestured at Marinette's eye. "I noticed it's about where you were cut."</p>
<p>Marinette nodded. "yeah, Ladybug's magic healed most of it. I guess maybe because I was cut by flying glass? Not too sure."</p>
<p>"I think it looks cool," someone else said. He came up and tugged on her ponytail.</p>
<p>"Watch it," she growled, but he just laughed and wandered off.</p>
<p>The looks that everyone was giving her had started to make her feel a little uncomfortable. It took her a minute to realize that it was the same sort of look that people gave her as Ladybug. As though she were invincible. As though she could perform things beyond the feats of mortal men. She wasn't exactly sure who or how it started, but soon a chant rose into the air.</p>
<p>"Speech, speech, speech!"</p>
<p>Sylvain smiled at her and led her to a bench she could stand on so she could look out at the crowd.</p>
<p>"What do I say?" she whispered furiously.</p>
<p>"Whatever you want."</p>
<p>He traitorously left her to stand before the crowd. She recognized most of them but had never spoken to any of them until today. And now she was going to be speaking to all of them. She cleared her throat.</p>
<p>"Um, hi," she began, nervously brushing a stray lock of hair behind her ear. "My name's Marinette. I go to-" she gestured at the gym. "But I guess you all knew that." She paused to collect herself. What did she really want to say? Did she have anything to say? She stared out at the sea of faces. As Ladybug, she was often called upon to make statements. But there'd always been things that Ladybug couldn't say. Things that she'd felt inside that she believed, but which never would have been received well coming from a superhero. But from just Marinette.... She cleared her throat and began again. "This was not my first akuma attack or even my second. I've had a lot of time to think about these akumas and what they mean for Paris. What they've done to Parisians. I've seen fear and anxiety. I've seen pain and uncertainty. As much as I love and thank Ladybug and Cat Noir for all that they've done for this city, I think I can say that they haven't done anything to stop the problem. Hawk Moth is still out there. Still plotting and still planning. And there's no end in sight." The silence at her words seemed to grow heavy. Ladybug and Cat Noir were universally loved. No one had ever said a bad word against them as far as she could remember. "I think of our future - the future of Paris. The future of Parisians. One day I want to get married and have children. I think of the kind of world that my children are going to be born into one day. This is not just a superhero problem. It's a fight that every Parisian is a part of. Whether it's  spreading love to one another, or taking a stand against Hawk Moth's akumas, it's a fight we're all part of. </p>
<p>Hawk Moth thinks he can terrorize us. He thinks he can threaten our lives and the lives of the ones we love. He thinks he can threaten Paris and that his only opposition is Ladybug and Cat Noir. To him, I say he is wrong. Parisians will not yield. Paris will not yield. We will show him what it means to cross us. They call Paris the city of love. We will show him how love is so much more powerful than the hate he breeds... and we will do it as we grind him beneath our heel."</p>
<p>There was a moment of stunned silence before people began to clap. And when the clapping turned to a deafening roar, cheers began to swell, as if by the strength of their voice and their hands alone everyone could bring down the very walls of the building.</p>
<p>#</p>
<p>"Spaghetti!" The shout was accompanied by the click of the photographer's camera. "That's it. All the spaghetti you can imagine!"</p>
<p>"If I have to hear one more word about spaghetti, I'm going to throw up," Lila whispered into Adrien's ear as she continued to press herself against him.</p>
<p>He smiled more genuinely.</p>
<p>"Perfect!" Click click click.</p>
<p>"And that's a wrap!"</p>
<p>Today, the shoot was being done in a hotel room. They were modeling clothes that were meant for busy professionals on the go.</p>
<p>"Ah la mia principessa!" one of the designers exclaimed tugging Lila away. "You look so beautiful. It's a shame we have to undo it all."</p>
<p>Lila gave Adrien a saucy wink. "See you on the other side, my prince."</p>
<p>"Sure." He watched her go, a faint smile on his lips. For all her faults, Lila could actually be fun to be around. Even if half of it were lies, if one simply took it in the right spirit, it was actually kind of funny. His gaze lingered slightly on her swaying hips. And she was very pretty.</p>
<p>Adrien shook himself. What was he thinking? He was dating Kagami. He loved Ladybug. And then there was whatever he had with Marinette. Could he really add a fourth girl to the list? Maybe he was the shameless Casanova that Ladybug thought him to be.</p>
<p>The designers took him to his private change room and began the arduous process of stripping away the facade. Clips and pins which helped control the shape of his clothes were deftly removed. Make-up swabbed away. Clothes stripped and replaced with his ordinary but still stylish wear.</p>
<p>When he stepped out of the studio, Lila was there. "Care to go for a coffee?"</p>
<p>Adrien was about to decline when he hesitated. Lila had been the epitome of professional ever since Marinette's expulsion. She hadn't stepped one toe out of line as far as he could tell, and had even done her best to reverse the expulsion. Was he going to continue to keep her at arms-length? It was just a coffee, and if it'd been anyone else, he'd have said yes. How long was he going to punish her for her mistake? Besides, she'd been making an effort with Kagami, who was now starting to vouch for her. The longer he held out, the more he felt like he was in the wrong. Yet to forgive completely also felt like a betrayal of Marinette.</p>
<p>"Sure," he said finally. </p>
<p>Her responding smile was radiant, and it seemed to take away the last vestiges of calculation that had always lurked in her eyes. Maybe Lila could be a slice of normalcy in the turbulence of his life. A friend he could count on.</p>
<p>She linked arms with his, but in a gentle, delicate way. Normally he disliked people getting into his personal space, but Lila was already used to being close to him due to the shoots.</p>
<p>"I'll take a small coffee and the pecan brioche." He turned to Lila who asked for the Turkish coffee. "No it's okay," he said, dismissing her attempt to pull out her change purse. He handed over his card.</p>
<p>"Thanks, but you don't have to," Lila said easily. "This isn't a date."</p>
<p>"it's no problem.” Then, wanting to move the conversation along, he said, “I've never had a Turkish coffee before."</p>
<p>"It's strong, like an espresso. You can have a sip of mine." She eyed the brioche and went on, "I didn't think you were allowed that sort of thing."</p>
<p>"Not normally, but I'm blessed with a high metabolism. And besides, I'm measured carefully every week. If people notice a change, it'll be brought to my father's attention and my diet and exercise regime will be more strictly monitored." They took a seat at a secluded table by the window. "Are you excited for the new school year?"</p>
<p>"School," Lila snorted. "It's a tedious make-work project to keep kids busy until they grow up. It does nothing for those of us that are already more mature."</p>
<p>"That's - I can't say I've ever heard that sort of thing before. Kind of reminds me of my father."</p>
<p>"I hope that's a compliment, Adrien."</p>
<p>"I have great respect for him," Adrien replied. "I could do a lot worse when it comes to following in his footsteps."</p>
<p>Lila's eyes softened. "Well, I'm not one to pry, but I did get the impression that he is a little distant."</p>
<p>"Ever since mother passed," Adrien said. He peered down into his coffee. "He was a loving father before then."</p>
<p>"Grief can do terrible things to people," said Lila sympathetically.</p>
<p>Adrien half-expected her to launch into a fantastical story about some far away place, but she remained silent, letting him change the topic.</p>
<p>"Did you see the video of Marinette?"</p>
<p>"Which one?" Lila replied sardonically.</p>
<p>"Her speech."</p>
<p>Adrien watched her reaction. There was no tell-tale grimace. No indication of spite or ill-will toward Marinette whatsoever. Lila's eyes lit up and her smile grew warm and excited. "It was incredible. Paris for Parisians. I really liked it. I think we've been letting Ladybug have too much free reign in our city. It's time we take some of that power back."</p>
<p>"Yes," Adrien said, though inwardly he was troubled. He and Ladybug didn't need anti-superhero sentiment to be stirred up. Their job was hard enough without dealing with that also. "Though I got the impression that she was calling Parisians to do more to help Ladybug and Cat Noir."</p>
<p>Something dark and brittle slithered into Lila's smile. "Yes, I suppose. But it's still all the same in the end. Less Ladybug and more Parisians. You? What did you think of it?"</p>
<p>"Surprising," he confessed, thinking of last night as he seemed to remain frozen in his room trying to reconcile the Marinette he knew and the Marinette who seemed to be appearing in the media. After a moment, he added, "I still have trouble seeing Marinette standing up and saying that."</p>
<p>"She always had a strong personality," Lila replied.</p>
<p>"Funny, I never really saw that. At least not when she was with me."</p>
<p>"That’s only because of her ridiculous fan crush," Lila said dismissively. "All that blushing and stuttering - she was a complete mess. Honestly, I don’t know how you put up with it. You must have the patience of a saint." </p>
<p>"You’ve said the same thing before," he replied, "But I don’t believe it.”</p>
<p>Memories bubbled up in his mind, crowding each other for dominance as he reviewed his previous interactions with her. Marinette as a fan-girl? He just couldn't see it. He'd been exposed to hundreds of fans. none had ever behaved like Marinette. In fact, she'd been one of the rare few that had always remained careful to avoid stepping into his personal space. Well, except for that time at the museum. The very memory of it brought an embarrassed smile to his lips, along with a gentle ache at her prolonged absence from his life.</p>
<p>No, he decided she couldn't have possibly liked him. If she did, then she would have behaved with him the way she behaved with Cat Noir. The memory of her kissing him - well that also brought an embarrassed smile to his lips.</p>
<p>"She might be attending lycée with us again."</p>
<p>Lila stilled, her fingers curling around her mug reflexively. He almost wished he had Cat Noir's phenomenal senses in that moment to help him interpret what he was seeing in her expression.</p>
<p>"That's unexpected," Lila said finally. "But a good thing for her, I'm sure."</p>
<p>Outside, a familiar black car pulled up to the coffee shop. "I'm sorry, Lila. I think that's my cue to leave."</p>
<p>"I understand," Lila said, again with that easy, relaxed tone. "You're a busy person. I wouldn't want to get in the way of all the important things you do."</p>
<p>"Thanks, Lila." And then, with only a small amount of hesitation, he added, “Maybe we could do this again sometime.”</p>
<p>“I’d like that, Adrien.”</p>
<p>#</p>
<p>"Nadja, come in!" Sabine gave her friend a hug.</p>
<p>Manon scrambled past the adults, racing up the stairs. "Marinette! Marinette! Look what I have!"</p>
<p>It'd been a week since the battle with Enchantress, and things had returned to business as usual. The media were still talking about her. Her speech had sparked a firestorm of debate on tv, the radio, and the internet. She wasn't quite sure how to feel about it.</p>
<p>"Look, Marinette!" Manon cried, pulling a pair of dolls out of her bag. "Look what I got!"</p>
<p>They'd retreated to her bedroom where Marinette had been ready to pull out her chest of dolls and other toys. So she was completely caught off guard when Manon pulled out a Cat Noir doll of her own. And next to it....</p>
<p>"A Marinette doll!" Manon cried. "Isn't it amazing! I got daddy to buy it off the internet for me."</p>
<p>Manon proceeded to show her just how amazing it was by grabbing Bubbler from the chest. She had doll Marinette kick Bubbler so hard that he went flying across the room. Then she mashed Marinette's and Cat Noir's faced together in what must have been an attempt at having them kiss. Manon rolled their faces against one another-</p>
<p>"Stop, Manon!" Marinette turned and buried her beet red face in her hands.</p>
<p>"But why?" Manon looked up at her with curious eyes. "You two are in love? People in love kiss, don't they Marinette?"</p>
<p>"Uh, yes, but-" Somebody save me from this conversation.</p>
<p>To her chagrin, the trap door opened, and Nadja poked her head through. Her gaze fell on the dolls. She had the decency to wince at the sight. “I'm sorry, Marinette. I hope I'm not troubling you."</p>
<p>"It's okay, Ms. Chamack. Manon was just showing me her-" she glanced at the dolls to make sure she wasn't hallucinating them, "-dolls."</p>
<p>"yes, they were rushed into production, and Manon was very insistent. I tried to dissuade her-"</p>
<p>"It's fine." Marinette's voice came out higher than anticipated. Thankfully, Nadja ignored it, even as Manon started to make kissing sounds.</p>
<p>"Listen, Marinette, about all of this business with Cat Noir and the akuma fight and your speech - I was wondering if you would be willing to come and do an interview on tv to talk about it." She rushed to finish her pitch, "You have a really positive message to spread, and it could do a lot of good in encouraging the people of Paris-"</p>
<p>"No," Marinette said, aghast at the idea. An interview? The last one she did as Ladybug had been a nightmare, and had turned Nadja into an akuma. "I'm sorry, Nadja, but I'm not interview material. I'm going to have to decline." Besides, she was certain the public was more interested in gossip on Cat's love-life, and that would require her to invent an entire false history. Even if she wanted to, which she didn't, she doubted she could construct one that was convincing, and in any event, Cat could just as easily destroy the illusion, wrecking her plan to lure Hawk Moth out. </p>
<p>Nadja sighed. "Think about it, Marinette. My door's open if you ever change your mind or want to talk about it. It could be really beneficial for you, and I could help you and prepare you in advance so you're not caught off guard with any inappropriate questions. I learned my lesson with Ladybug and Cat Noir." She set her business card on the ground and quietly left.</p>
<p>"Maybe you can have Cat Noir do the interview with you," said Manon helpfully. "Then you can kiss on tv!"</p>
<p>Right, she thought, as Manon returned to playing with her dolls.</p>
<p>#</p>
<p>Marinette hit the mat with a whump.</p>
<p>"Ready to give up, pipsqueak?" Tank's voice, normally infuriating, did nothing to elicit a response from the exhausted, bruised and battered girl. "I can't believe you actually handled an akuma."</p>
<p>Marinette picked herself off the mat. Even her bruises had bruises. "One more time."</p>
<p>Tank shrugged. "If you say so."</p>
<p>"Hold on a second." Sylvain approached, eyeing Marinette's sweat-soaked skin and the several bruises that were forming. "I think we're going to call it a day. Marinette, you have a visitor."</p>
<p>She glanced at the suit next to Sylvain and did a double-take. "Nathalie?" She shook herself. "I mean, Ms. Sancoeur."</p>
<p>"Hello, Miss Dupain-Cheng."</p>
<p>"What are you doing here?"</p>
<p>"I'm hoping we can have that discussion-" she glanced around, "-in a more private setting."</p>
<p>"Of course." Marinette turned to Tank. "I'll take you down next time."</p>
<p>"In your dreams, kid."</p>
<p>Marinette left the pit and joined Nathalie on the floor.</p>
<p>"Do you want to get cleaned up first?"</p>
<p>"Um, no I can do that after. I don't want to waste your time."</p>
<p>"I'm in no rush," said Nathalie. "And I'd prefer to have this discussion in the car. Perhaps I can drive you home?"</p>
<p>Marinette paused. A year ago, she would have went along with whatever an adult told her; especially someone as powerful and as put together as Nathalie. But things were different now. "I'm sorry," she said. "But I think I really need to know what this is about before I step into the car with you."</p>
<p>Something like approval graced Nathalie's features. "Understandable. I am here to discuss an employment opportunity with the Gabriel Agreste Fashion House."</p>
<p>"Uh." Marinette's brain stalled as she tried to rearrange Nathalie's words in a way that made sense. "You want to give me a job?"</p>
<p>Nathalie waited expectantly.</p>
<p>"I... think I might need that shower after all."</p>
<p>"Take your time."</p>
<p>Thirty minutes later, Marinette was sliding into the back of the Agreste limousine. The excitement was tempered by the memory of the last time she'd been in it. That was when Adrien had confessed that he loved someone else. Kagami.</p>
<p>I'm happy for her. Kagami is my friend. She clung to these phrases like a talisman, as if they could ward away the pain.</p>
<p>Marinette was pulled from her thoughts by an envelope that Nathalie was holding out to her. She opened it and stared blankly at the contents.</p>
<p>"The reversal of your expulsion from Francoise Dupont, and your acceptance to the same lycée. The same Adrien will be attending. No matter what else you decide, the expulsion is withdrawn. Furthermore, the initial charge, allegation and finding have all been sealed. The entire affair is nothing more than a bad dream."</p>
<p>For another long moment, she stared at the papers with the official, original seal of the acceptance. She managed to say past the forming lump in her throat, "Thank you." Nathalie's words were so unexpected and so sudden it felt like she was a fairy Godmother who had just come to tell her she could now go to the ball. Marinette latched onto the only part of Nathalie's words that felt even remotely like a lifeline to normalcy. "You said I have to decide something?"</p>
<p>"Monsieur Agreste would like to offer you a position as a fashion design intern. In particular, you will be working closely with Adrien to design clothes that he will be modeling. Your career and his will become closely intertwined."</p>
<p>"You want me to intertwine with Adrien?" Her eyes ballooned out of her head at the words that just came out of her mouth. "I mean you want me to-" </p>
<p>Nathalie raised a hand to forestall the oncoming barrage. "Your schedule would be monitored to ensure that you would be given a workload you could handle. Practically speaking, you could expect to work ten to twenty hours per week. You will need to be present for Adrien's shoots, of course."</p>
<p>"That's-" Marinette stopped herself from saying anything else embarrassing and took a deep breath. "That sounds like a dream come true." Or a nightmare she thought, as she imagined being near to Adrien - watching him - but never really being able to be close to him. Not the way she wanted. A sliver of reality crept in at the edges, demanding its due. "I - why me? I mean, I'm only seventeen."</p>
<p>"You won Monsieur Agreste's derby hat competition," Nathalie said easily. "That means you clearly have some skill with fashion design."</p>
<p>"That - that can't be enough to become an intern."</p>
<p>"No," Nathalie agreed. "You will find that Monsieur Agreste often achieves multiple objectives at once. You have been wrongly accused and harmed. Adrien has advocated this injustice to his father, and has confessed that he has played a role at least in part in the events that culminated in your expulsion. Monsieur Agreste would like to redress that wrong."</p>
<p>"Adrien said that?"</p>
<p>"Adrien has also sung your praises, describing not only your talent at design, but your sincerity and integrity. Something which has been borne by the recent akuma attack and your handling of it, both in terms of the fight itself but also in terms of your response in the media. Fashion is a competitive world. It takes someone with nerve to handle it. Someone who can go to battle not only in the ring, so to speak, but also in the media." She glanced down at her folio. "And I believe you have another accolade to your name. You designed Mr. Jagged Stone's sunglasses and his cover album. And as you have pointed out, you are only seventeen. Someone of your caliber is a rare find, Marinette."</p>
<p>The car pulled up to the bakery, but Marinette made no move to get out. As wonderful as this opportunity was, it wasn’t realistically going to happen. “I’m sorry.” The words came out as nearly a whisper. “My parents… they want me to move away from Paris. I can’t….”</p>
<p>Nathalie’s reply was as sharp and delicate as a scalpel. “An opportunity like this comes once in a lifetime.”</p>
<p>Marinette nodded. “Yes, but with all this-“ she gestured at the air, as if that could explain the morass of thoughts and feelings that were stuck inside.</p>
<p>“As a Gabriel employee,” Nathalie seemed to choose her words carefully, “I’m certain there are arrangements we can make to ensure your safety.”</p>
<p>Marinette doubted very much that anyone could ensure one’s safety in Paris anymore. Akumas and sentimonsters were beyond any mere mundane forms of protection. Still, the idea took root in Marinette’s mind. It wasn’t about being safe – far from it. It was about convincing her parents that she would be safe enough. And with an opportunity like this in hand –a career-maker plain and simple – her parents would be more reluctant to send her away, to discard a chance for her to realize her dreams when they were so close to fruition.</p>
<p>Her gaze drifted over to the bakery’s entrance. The fervor around her had died down, and there’d been no further attacks in the past week. Not by akumas, not by sentimonsters, not by Hawk Moth. Even though Marinette didn’t herself believe that she was suddenly off Hawk Moth’s radar, she was starting to wonder if she had miscalculated. Time was passing, and he still hadn’t come out to attack. If she did get sent away… well it wouldn’t be the end of the world. Just the end of her dream of having a fashion career.</p>
<p>“What kind of security?”</p>
<p>“Negotiable,” Nathalie replied. “If this is of particular concern to your parents, then perhaps I could make an appointment to speak with them.”</p>
<p>That was even more tempting. Marinette knew firsthand how impressively intimidating and persuasive Nathalie could be. It would’ve been one thing for Marinette to try to convince her parents, but Nathalie stepping in – it was almost certain a done deal.</p>
<p>“You would do that?” Part of her was having trouble believing this was happening. Who was she to garner the personal attention of Gabriel Agreste? A thought, sharp and dangerous, speared upward from a closed off part of her brain, but before it could fully form, Nathalie was speaking again.</p>
<p>“I’m not in the habit of repeating myself, but I will do so just this once. Adrien speaks very highly of you. True friends are a rare commodity in our circles. You are also a talented and driven fashion designer with an exceptional resume for one your age. You are worth fighting to keep, Marinette. Now, how about that appointment?”</p>
<p>“There’s usually a lull at the bakery mid-morning. Can we go in now together and see if my parents are free?”</p>
<p>Nathalie’s response was to nod and step out of the car. Marinette followed.</p>
<p>#</p>
<p>Two weeks. Two entire weeks since Enchantress, and still no Hawk Moth.</p>
<p>"How could I have gotten it so wrong?" Marinette mumbled.</p>
<p>"I don't know, Marinette," said Tikki as she plucked curlers from her hair. "Maybe Hawk Moth found out about the fact that you're not really leaving Paris?"</p>
<p>"But how?" she nearly exploded with frustration. "I've told no one. Maman and Papa swore they would keep it a secret. Only me and the school officials-"</p>
<p>"All the people who work for Monsieur Agreste," Tikki added, "and Adrien and everyone he's told. Marinette, it's not a state secret that you're staying."</p>
<p>"Yes, but that would mean somehow Hawk Moth is connected to the circle of people I know." Which meant he probably lived on this side of town. Something about that idea tickled at the back of her brain.</p>
<p>"You should focus on getting ready for the party."</p>
<p>"I don't even know if I'm going." But Marinette continued to touch up her makeup, and Tikki continued to remove the curlers. "Cat might say no."</p>
<p>"He'll say yes," said Tikki knowingly as the last curler was removed. "You look so beautiful, Marinette. No boy could resist you."</p>
<p>She set the lipstick down and studied herself critically in the mirror. Sometimes, when she unfocused her eyes and the light fell on her just right, she could believe she was beautiful. But all the other times, she felt like a fake. Deep down, she knew it wasn't true. All girls felt like that. All people tended to see only their own imperfections.</p>
<p>"He's here," whispered Tikki before zooming away.</p>
<p>"Wait," she began, "Hawk Moth - the akumas - what's his range?" The idea was starting to blossom that there was a clue in all the attacks. Something she'd overlooked. Something she hadn't had context for until Hawk Moth had started using sentimonsters. But Tikki was gone.</p>
<p>She left her bathroom, putting it out of her mind as Cat Noir lounged on her chaise flipping through a hunting magazine. "Interesting literature you have-" He stopped as his gaze roved over her. The blush that crept over his face gave her a jolt of much needed confidence.</p>
<p>"Hello, Cat," she said, pitching her voice lower so it came out more like a purr. She'd already sworn Tikki to secrecy over having practised her sultry voice in the bathroom.</p>
<p>"Marinette!" he squeaked. Her strapless dress was a dark red with black accents - a nod to Ladybug. But the clincher was the delicate embroidery, which, if one looked at the right way, revealed a large ladybug in the pattern.</p>
<p>She sat next to him and put an arresting hand on his arm. "I've been waiting for you, Chaton."</p>
<p>"Marinette," he squeaked again. "You're looking...."</p>
<p>"Cat got your tongue?" she teased.</p>
<p>He straightened as if he were gathering his resolve for a dangerous akuma. "You look beautiful, Marinette. Stunning and ravishing and - there's no words. Any description could only be a poor attempt to capture your beauty."</p>
<p>"I only want to capture your heart, Chaton." She ran a finger down his arm, enjoying the feel of his muscular bicep through the leather.</p>
<p>"Is there a special occasion, or are we just celebrating the fact that you’re staying in Paris?"</p>
<p>Marinette thought she could actually see the wheels turning in his head as he tried to figure out what was going on.</p>
<p>"Alya's throwing a two year anniversary party for the Ladyblog," Marinette said. "I was hoping you would take me as your date."</p>
<p>His mouth opened to make a little o of astonishment as the implications unfurled in his mind.</p>
<p>"Please?" she said, scooting closer while careful not to crease her dress. She leaned in and gave him a kiss on his cheek. "I promise I'll make it worth your while."</p>
<p>"Marinette," he said again, his voice going from squeaky to strangled.</p>
<p>"Just say yes, Chaton."</p>
<p>She leaned in and kissed him again. This seemed to finally wake him from his reverie, during which he seemed to undergo a titanic mental struggle. Finally, he sagged in defeat. "Okay."</p>
<p>"Good kitty." Marinette got to her feet and grabbed her purse. "Alya's going to be so excited when she sees you. Imagine, a real live superhero coming to her anniversary party."</p>
<p>"Ladybug's going to kill me."</p>
<p>"You never know," Marinette replied lightly. "Maybe she'll be there. But I do recommend maybe wiping the lipstick off your cheek."</p>
<p>"That's not helping."</p>
<p>Marinette just giggled.</p>
<p>#</p>
<p>Cat tried everything to get out of going to Alya's party. Of course he'd already known about it, but, when it had come down to a choice between going to the party as Adrien and spending a quiet evening with Marinette as Cat Noir, the preference had been as clear as day. Quiet time with Marinette would win always. Only now, it felt as though both worlds were colliding in the worst possible way.</p>
<p>"I really don't think this is a good idea, Marinette," said Cat.</p>
<p>He'd leapt off the balcony and waited for Marinette down below. She'd flagged a taxi, and made the driver turn a corner to stop and collect her date. The driver eyed Cat Noir suspiciously, and Marinette had claimed they were role-playing, and that it wasn't really Cat Noir. Suddenly her outfit made at least a semblance of sense, since it was clearly Ladybug inspired, and could help to sell the ruse.</p>
<p>"Don't be ridiculous," she said. "It'll be fun. And we can leave after thirty minutes if you really don't like it."</p>
<p>"It's a risk to my identity."</p>
<p>"You handle people all the time. This is just working a crowd for a little bit. It'd mean the world to Alya, and it might help make you seem more normal. Besides, I thought you said you live a regimented lifestyle or something. This is your chance to let loose."</p>
<p>Her reasoning was sound, but she didn't understand. These people all put expectations on him. And worse, he knew them in real life. He didn't want to see what kind of people they were to Cat Noir. He didn't want to be judged by them. And he definitely didn't want to see what sort of post was going to appear on the Ladyblog the next day. Suddenly, he wished for Ladybug to be at his side. If it'd been her, it would've been different.</p>
<p>They were just stepping up to Nino's apartment building where the party was taking place when Marinette stopped him. "Cat, you're trembling."</p>
<p>He glanced at her concerned expression. Marinette wanted this. She said it'd be okay. And he trusted her. He could suck it up. It'd only be thirty minutes. And these were all people he knew. He could do this.</p>
<p>"I'm sorry," he said. "Just a bit of nerves. Come on." He tugged on her hand, but she was suddenly as immovable as Stoneheart.</p>
<p>"And you're lying," she said, frowning. She looked him up and down and then glanced at the building. "You really don't want to go?"</p>
<p>He looked back at her. Her face had scrunched up in concentration. People around them were giving them curious glances, but thankfully no one had pulled out their cameras. Of course, they probably couldn't be sure he was the real deal.</p>
<p>"No," he confessed.</p>
<p>Her frown deepened. "But you were the one telling me to get out and see my friends," she said. "and I thought for sure you were... a party goer?"</p>
<p>"I come to you, because I feel like I can be myself. Because you accept me for who I am and not what people expect me to be. You’re the only one, Marinette.” He gestured at the street and the apartment building, and, more specifically, the people that would no doubt be waiting up at the party. “Not them. Not anyone else. No one.”</p>
<p>"That - that can't be true," she said doubtfully. Surely there had to be others in his life he felt he could connect with. But then again, hadn’t that been what he’d been alluding to all this time? Trapped in his civilian life on all sides with no way out, his only escape a leather cat suit? "What about Ladybug?” The words tumbled out without her meaning to, but she had to know.</p>
<p>He exhaled as he collected his thoughts. "Ladybug… she’s amazing. And perfect. But she’s also demanding. I always feel like-“ he struggled to draw the right words together, “-like I’m having to try so hard to live up to her expectations. Like I’m not good enough.”</p>
<p>“Like your father,” she whispered sorrowfully. “Oh, Chaton, I never knew.” She reached up and raised a hand to touch him before hesitating. “I don’t ever want to make you feel like that. If I – if I ever do, promise me you’ll tell me. I never want to be that kind of person.”</p>
<p>"I know," he said. And then, after a moment, "Some superhero I am. Could you imagine if Paris saw this side of me? I doubt they'd be half as confident in me as they are now."</p>
<p>"Well," she said with forced lightness, "That's because they're all stupid. Everything you just told me makes me trust you that much more."</p>
<p>"Don't be ridiculous. Why would it?"</p>
<p>"You're already my hero, chaton." She gave him another kiss on the cheek. "And heroes in my book talk about their feelings."</p>
<p>"How do you do that?" he said softly. For a moment, it felt like he could get lost in the blue of her eyes. "You make me feel so strong and so weak all at the same time."</p>
<p>"I ask myself that same question everyday," she said. "A month ago, I trusted you with my life. But now I trust you with my heart."</p>
<p>"Even though you know I have a girlfriend?" He regretted the words the moment they came out. The thought had preyed upon him for weeks now, growing as his feelings for Marinette grew.</p>
<p>She tore her gaze away and seemed to study the leather that contoured around his chest. "I know," she said. "Don't you think I know that?" She looked up, her gaze as fierce as when she faced off against Enchantress. "There was someone I cared for deeply. A boy. I lost him because I was too scared, too weak, too much of a coward to tell him how I felt. I didn't fight for him at all… I hesitated. I'm not making that mistake again. I'm not letting you go, Chaton. Not without a fight."</p>
<p>"Even if we can't really go on real dates?" he asked. "Even if I can't tell you who I really am?"</p>
<p>"I know who you really are," she said. "You're the person that comforted me when I needed it. You're the person that made sure I saw my friends so I didn't become one of those crazy cat ladies-"</p>
<p>"-Cat ladies aren't crazy-"</p>
<p>"Who am I kidding?" she mused. "I have become one of those crazy cat ladies. After all, I'm crazy enough to keep you around."</p>
<p>They both giggled at her attempt at a joke.</p>
<p>"That was - well I wouldn't call it a pun, but it definitely had zing," said Cat.</p>
<p>"Come on, let's get out of here and go home."</p>
<p>""No, wait," he said, tugging her back. He glanced at the building, and then, with a determined expression, added, "I can do this."</p>
<p>"Are you sure?"</p>
<p>He let out a breath. "You're right. I'm being silly. They're just people, and it's not a bad thing to let people see me for who I am. I do want that."</p>
<p>"I'll be with you," she said, interlacing her fingers with his claws. "Just say the word, and we'll take off. And if you want to make it a drop in thing from the start, we can just tell them that you just came to say hi and thank Alya for the Ladyblog. It doesn't have to be me showing off my new cat-as-trophy."</p>
<p>#</p>
<p>"Oh. My. God." Alya's shout turned all heads to the entrance where Marinette and Cat Noir were standing. </p>
<p>Lila's grip reflexively tightened on her plastic cup, causing fruit punch to slosh over the sides and down her fingers.</p>
<p>Marinette and Cat Noir had just arrived at the party... Together. Cat Noir looked as he always did, but Marinette was dressed up. Lila'd never seen her look so beautiful. The dress was designer quality, and her hair had been curled and fluffed so that she could've been stepping off the catwalk. It didn't help that she seemed to be radiant with pleasure at the happy attention. Or maybe that was just the result of the strobe effect from so many camera flashes as everyone got their fill of pictures.</p>
<p>The galling thing was that Lila's brain kept turning the star duo over in her mind looking for a weakness. Something to exploit for her own gain. But there was nothing. She had no doubt that Marinette hated her. And Cat Noir was no friend either. She'd burned those bridges. Which meant the only thing she could do was lay them low. After all, there was always opportunity in disaster. Marinette and Cat moved through the crowd as if they were naturals. It was all smiles and hugs and easy camaraderie. It was as if her isolation, ostracization and expulsion had never happened.</p>
<p>I told you I would destroy you, she thought, turning and pulling out a pair of plastic cups. She filled one of them with the extra sweet white wine. The extra sugar would help mask the drug that she slipped into Marinette's drink. She'd never used it before, but was assured that this one would lower inhibitions and had a good chance of causing either a blackout or short-term memory loss when coupled with alcohol. She'd hoped to use it with Adrien, possibly getting him to think he'd slept with her or maybe actually sleeping with her. She wasn't sure which she wanted. A pregnancy would almost surely secure her victory. Possibly even just the allegation of it would do the job.</p>
<p>She shook her head of those thoughts. Adrien wasn't here, but Marinette was. At the very least, the drug might make her look like a fool. At worst, it might damage her relationship with Cat Noir. Imagine if little miss perfect got pregnant with Cat Noir's child. That'd be a burr in his paw. One Hawk Moth could take advantage of. And that'd put paid to this ridiculous idea that Marinette could get back in the running for Adrien’s affections. Lila shelved the fantasies for the moment. She needed to get these drinks into the right hands.</p>
<p>"Rose!" she said, shoving the drinks at the tiny blonde. "These are for Cat and Marinette. I can't deliver them to Marinette because of my post-traumatic stress disorder. You know, from when she assaulted me."</p>
<p>"Oh of course," said Rose with her usual vapid good cheer.</p>
<p>"The white wine is for Marinette," added Lila helpfully. "It's a little sweeter and more of a girl's drink, you know?"</p>
<p>"Oh okay. Thanks Lila, you're the best!"</p>
<p>She watched the dupe go, eyes narrowed as she made sure the right drinks got to the right hands. It was a risky gambit. Cat Noir was supposed to have enhanced senses. If he perchance took a sip… if he realized the drink was spiked… she’d be in trouble.</p>
<p>Lila breathed a sigh of relief as Marinette was ushered away by the other girls, drink in hand, so they could no doubt gush about Cat Noir. Lila followed at a sedate pace, taking care to make sure she remained as submissive and non-threatening as possible in case Cat or anyone else was watching her. She stepped out onto the large balcony where the other girls had drifted too.</p>
<p>"Does the leather come off?"</p>
<p>"No, Mylene!" Marinette was exclaiming. She put fingers to her lips and giggled. "I think he would have to de-transform, and he's definitely never done that in front of me." She glanced off to the side as if recollecting something. Lila was sure Marinette was lying at least in part. Interesting.</p>
<p>"Forget all that," said Alya excitedly. "Is he a good kisser?"</p>
<p>"No comment," was Marinette's immediate response.</p>
<p>"Aw-"</p>
<p>"Not to reporters," she went on, looking apologetic. "Cat would kill me if that sort of thing got spread around. He's very sensitive about not upsetting Ladybug, you see."</p>
<p>There was a chorus of oohs. "You be careful girl, said Rose. I hope that Ladybug's not the jealous type."</p>
<p>She most definitely is, Lila thought darkly, remembering her first encounter with the so-called superhero.</p>
<p>"I don't know, Marinette could probably give her a run for her money." Alya acted out a poor rendition of Marinette's fight with Enchantress. </p>
<p>Oh please, Lila thought, it was one measly kick.</p>
<p>"I would never fight Ladybug for Cat's affections," said Marinette happily.</p>
<p>"How'd you two meet, anyway? Come on, tell us the story!"</p>
<p>A chorus of voices rose up, urging her to start talking.</p>
<p>Marinette blushed and swayed on her feet ever so slightly. Lila smirked. The drugs were working.</p>
<p>"Well, I helped him to defeat Evillustrator. Not sure if you remember him."</p>
<p>"Nathanael!" everyone cried happily.</p>
<p>"Yeah, he took me out on a date, so we planned the attack with Cat Noir around that. Didn't work too well. But that was the first time."</p>
<p>"So the first time you met Cat Noir, and he was rescuing you from an akuma. That's so romantic."</p>
<p>Marinette giggled again. "Yeah, he's always been so sweet. Flirty and stupidly corny. But sweet. And strong." Her smile turned wistful. She looked up, her gaze passing over Lila and zeroing on Cat who was in the apartment. "He came to visit me after the expulsion. He was very kind to me."</p>
<p>Lila froze. Vaguely, she wondered if Marinette's words had been directed at her specifically - a dig to let her know that, in part, Lila had been responsible for hooking Marinette up with the superhero. Fury swelled inside her, but she tamped it down hard, compressing it until it could be controlled and used as fuel for her plans. She wasn't going to be like some akuma that just raged at everyone around her until she was put down. She was better than that. And soon, everyone would know it, when she rose to the top, and they all stewed at the bottom in the filth where they belonged.</p>
<p>Until then, she would bide her time.</p>
<p>#</p>
<p>"Dude, I still can't believe there's a superhero in my home."</p>
<p>"Believe it," said Cat. It was a surreal experience chilling and having a drink with his best friend, Nino. It was doubly weird that, despite being his best friend, Adrien had never actually gone over to his home before, and was now here as Cat Noir. He wondered distantly if Nino were perhaps a little embarrassed by the wealth disparity between them. It certainly embarrassed Adrien.</p>
<p>Not for the first time, he was thankful that the ring did more to hide his identity than simply dressing him up in leather. Otherwise there would’ve been no way Nino didn’t recognize him.</p>
<p>"So how'd you and Marinette hook up?" asked Nathanael.</p>
<p>"Akuma fights," replied Cat, shrugging. "What can I say, I like strong women."</p>
<p>Nino barked out a laugh. "Yeah, Marinette's strong. Sure."</p>
<p>"Come on, man. Didn't you see the akuma fight from like two weeks ago. She totally kicked ass. Man, she did more to win that fight than Ladybug."</p>
<p>Cat winced, since it was kind of true, Ladybug only arriving after the akuma had been let loose.</p>
<p>Conversation drifted around to various topics.</p>
<p>"Dude, you play Ultimate Mecha Strike 3! No way!"</p>
<p>"Not only that, boys," Marinette said, coming up to them, he beat me the last three times in a row." She came up and pressed herself up against him. Her face was flushed and her eyes dilated, and she had a big grin on her face. She seemed to lean her whole weight on him - enough that Cat had to brace himself to keep from tipping over.</p>
<p>"Marinette," he said, checking her over for injury.</p>
<p>"Mmm, chaton, I missed you." She stood on her toes and nuzzled her face into his neck.</p>
<p>"Whoa, Marinette, how much did you have to drink."</p>
<p>"Just one," she pouted. "I'm not drunk, chaton." And then, more slyly, she said, "I just know what I want." She ran a fingernail down his chest, hard enough that if he’d been wearing ordinary clothes, she would’ve left a scratch.</p>
<p>She leaned up to whisper to him, her breath tickling his ear. "Let's go somewhere more private."</p>
<p>“Marinette…,” came his instinctive, startled response. Surely she didn’t mean what he thought she meant? She knew he had a girlfriend. He looked her over, searching for signs of… well he wasn’t sure what signs to look for. Her bluebell eyes, normally so bright, seemed darker, more intense. It was the sort of look Vincent would have called a smolder. Seeing it on Marinette….</p>
<p>"Don't make me beg, chaton." She ran her hands across his chest and back. "Or maybe you want to see if your pussycat's got claws."</p>
<p>"Guys," he said, voice hitching. "I think maybe Marinette needs to go home."</p>
<p>The boys grinned, but they also exchanged uneasy looks, as if they too sensed that Marinette wasn’t herself.</p>
<p>"Dude, if you want, she can stay in one of the bedrooms here. Uh, you know, to sleep off whatever-“ he gestured at her, “-that is. My family's out of town, so she can sleep over too.”</p>
<p>Cat let out a breath of relief. Letting her sleep off the wine here was his best bet. He knew already that she had taken steps to hide the fact from her parents that she’d come out here tonight with him. If he had to take her home, her parents would be furious at her… which meant she’d be furious with him.</p>
<p>He was brought back to the present by the feel of her hand sliding down his chest and over his stomach without slowing. He snatched her hand in his before she got any further.</p>
<p>"Yes," he said quickly. "Let's get her some place she can lie down.”</p>
<p>He tried to lead her to the bedroom, but she was doing her best to drape herself over him. On instinct, he scooped her up into his arms.  </p>
<p>She giggled. "My prince."</p>
<p>"You can put her in here," said Nino, opening a door. "It's my parents bedroom. Please don't make a mess, whatever you do."</p>
<p>"No mess," Cat confirmed as he navigated the threshold and set her down on the bed. Marinette clung to him with surprisingly strong arms.</p>
<p>"Don't go," she said huskily.</p>
<p>"Uh, do you want me to close the door?" Nino's uncertainty seemed to hang in the air.</p>
<p>"yes," said Cat. It's only to blot out the music so we can talk more easily, he told himself. And I’m only staying to keep an eye on her.</p>
<p>"Don't uh-" Nino swallowed. "You're not going to hurt her, right?"</p>
<p>"No, Nino."</p>
<p>"Uh, okay." And with that, the door was closed.</p>
<p>The pounding music from the living room faded to vibrations that pulsed through the floor. Marinette looked up at him through half-lidded eyes. Before he could disentangle himself from her, she heaved him off his feet, rolling him over her and onto his back. She followed the motion until she was suddenly straddling him.</p>
<p>“Marinette!” he cried, startled. On reflex, he put his hands on her sides, ready to heave her off.</p>
<p>“Chaton.” Her fingertips came to rest gently on his chest.</p>
<p>For a moment, he stared up at her. Her bluebell eyes, always so guarded, softened to something gentle. There was a tenderness in her expression that stilled his thoughts. Had she ever looked at him that way before? He thought he’d gotten to know her well, but here she was confronting him with something new.</p>
<p>It took him several seconds to realize that he was seeing her for perhaps the first time with her guards down. But no, that wasn’t true. This wasn’t the first time. He’d seen this version of her long ago in the early days when he’d been uncertain of their friendship. Before the expulsion. Before Lila. Before the approach of a reality that didn’t see her as anything special, that didn’t care about what she wanted – a reality that stole dreams and closed doors.</p>
<p>He was ashamed to realize that he’d never noticed it - the creeping lines of tension around her eyes, the slightly clenched jaw, the downward slope of her lips as they seemed locked in a perpetual frown.</p>
<p>“You’re so beautiful,” she murmured. “How could it be that I never saw it before? How could I have been so blind?”</p>
<p>“Marinette-“</p>
<p>She leaned down and pressed her lips to his. The movement was so sudden, so decisive, he had no time to think, no time to react. His senses were filled with the taste of her strawberry lip gloss, the warmth of her body as she molded herself to his, the curtain of hair that draped around him, tickling his jaw, his cheek, his neck. For a second, he became lost in her, his whole world tunneling down to just them. He kissed her back.</p>
<p>She pressed against him harder, more insistent, more demanding. She ran her tongue against his lips until they parted. Her mew of pleasure spurred him on, but all to quickly, he was tasting the lingering sour-sweetness of the wine on her tongue; remembering how unusual her behavior was. Like two poles of a magnet, worry and desire pulled him in opposite directions.</p>
<p>Finally, finally, with a burst of strength both mental and physical, he bucked her off, sending her tumbling onto the floor. She hit the floor with a thud and a short, sharp cry as her head struck the wall.</p>
<p>“Marinette!” He reached down to grab her and hoist her back up, but hesitated. There wasn’t much space between the bed and the wall, and she was splayed awkwardly enough that he couldn’t easily get down there to lift her out. Not without invading her personal space in ways that felt now suddenly too uncomfortable.</p>
<p>She looked up at him. Something in her gaze rooted him to the spot. Her eyes were a little unfocused, a little glassy. But even worse was what now replaced that look of tenderness. She looked lost. Haunted, even.</p>
<p>He couldn’t just leave her down there. Whatever energy had carried her thus far seemed to have evaporated like morning dew. One hand groped feebly for something to hold onto – no doubt to try to leverage her up. But as the seconds ticked by, it was clear she was only getting worse. Carefully, so as not to upset her, he lowered himself down to the ground. She tracked him with her gaze, like a spooked rabbit too terrified to flee.</p>
<p>“Come on,” he said softly, “Let’s get you back onto the bed.”</p>
<p>After several long seconds, she held out her arms. He reached around her and hugged her around her torso so he could heft her into the air.</p>
<p>There, he thought, relieved as she was now nestled once more atop the bed. It was only after he pulled back that he realized tears were silently tracking down her cheeks. She was no longer looking at him, her gaze fixed on a place a thousand miles away. </p>
<p>“I’m sorry,” she said, her voice ghost quiet, “I just wanted you to be mine… and no one else’s… just for one night.”</p>
<p>Somehow, her natural defensive barriers had been peeled back, and here, in this moment, she lay, the deepest, most vulnerable part of her lay exposed for him to see. And what he saw filled him with a sort of quiet dread. Because, at her core, she was just like him. Lost. Scared. Alone. And perhaps, even more terrifying, was the realization that no one could see it, because, like him, she wore a mask as perfect as any Adrien Agreste had ever constructed to hide himself away. To hide the fact that he didn’t live the charmed life that his family projected to the world.</p>
<p>Wordlessly, he pulled the comforter out from under her and tucked her in. In response, she clutched one of the pillows to her chest, curling around it protectively as he settled the covers over her bare shoulders.</p>
<p>He was just about to turn to leave when she said, “Don’t leave me.” And then, no doubt seeing his indecision, she went on, “Please… just… hold me.”</p>
<p>Reluctantly, he crawled back into bed, laying down behind her so he could be her big spoon.</p>
<p>“Thank you,” she said quietly.</p>
<p>“Of course. I’ll be here as long as you need me.”</p>
<p>Silence filled the space between them, save for the still distant pound of the bass beat from the stereo. With her cocooned in the blanket and then further in his embrace, she slowly relaxed. Her eyes began to flutter closed. Tension drained from him as he realized the evening was finally ending. It felt like he’d gone ten rounds with Stoneheart. Only this was so much worse, as there was no akuma to purify, no miraculous ladybug to undo the damage.</p>
<p>“Chaton?” her voice, ghost quiet, broke the silence. “Do you… do you still love Ladybug?”</p>
<p>Any other time, he might have found the question irritating. Now though, it felt like she was picking at a scab.</p>
<p>The ensuing silence turned expectant, as if the world were holding its breath in anticipation of his answer. Yet he found he had no answer to give. Thinking of Ladybug and the fantasy romance he’d built up in his head filled him with a strange mix of nostalgia and regret. She would never return his love, and even leaving himself open to the idea was a wound that just bled and bled. So he’d sealed himself off from that hurt long ago.</p>
<p>Soon, expectation gave way to introspection. Sleep crept through her body muscle by muscle, until, finally, she was turning over to snuggle more tightly against him, searching for the right angle to pillow her head against the crook of his shoulder. Long after her breathing turned deep and regular, Cat lay there, tense, eyes unseeing.</p>
<p>Even in sleep, she didn’t fully relax, tension lines creasing the skin around her eyes. He tentatively touched his forehead to hers, and wished he could somehow beam a connection between them. As if he could forge a link directly to the deep places that ran beneath the still waters of her mind.</p>
<p>The door opened a crack, and Cat only just realized that the music had stopped. Alya was peeking in. Her eyes lit up at the sight of them, and she was instantly tip-toeing forward, camera teleporting into her hands. </p>
<p>“You look so cute together,” she whispered. “May I?”</p>
<p>“No posting on the internet,” he mouthed back.</p>
<p>She nodded in assent and began clicking away.</p>
<p>“Sweet dreams, Princess,” he whispered before gently extricating himself.</p>
<p>Marinette tried to cling to him, but he managed to slip the pillow back into her arms in his place. </p>
<p>"I'm staying the night," said Alya as they walked out through the hall. "She'll be as safe as a kitten."</p>
<p>“You’ll let her parents know?”</p>
<p>“I already did.” She waved her phone at him. “Do you want to give me your number, and I can text you the pics?”</p>
<p>“I’ll pass.”</p>
<p>Alya grinned. “Can’t blame a girl for trying.”</p>
<p>Cat bade them farewell, opting to leap up to the roof from the balcony. The air was still warm despite the hour. He waited a minute to let the familiar sounds of a typical Paris summer night sink in before heading home.</p>
<p>#</p>
<p>Did anyone get the name of the akuma that hit me? Marinette wondered as she dragged herself through the cotton fuzz of sleep. Light poured in from a large window to one side, and the sounds of traffic drifted up from far down below.</p>
<p>Slowly, the events of last night stitched themselves together. Everything felt like it had happened in a haze, with only bits and pieces flashing at her from the noise. She crawled off the bed and stumbled to the door. Oh there, an ensuite. Nino's parents room.</p>
<p>Yes, okay that made a bit of sense. She washed herself, taking a moment to scrub the makeup away. Once presentable, she shuffled into the hall and to the living room.</p>
<p>"Morning, sleeping beauty." Alya and Nino were sitting on the sofa, Nino flipping through tv channels while Alya typed up the post for the Ladyblog.</p>
<p>"Hi," Marinette croaked. She took a seat. Alya and Nino were both giving her glances that ranged from wary to amused to curious.</p>
<p>"What?"</p>
<p>"Nothing." It was said in that tone that meant there was definitely something.</p>
<p>"Do I have something on my face? Marinette whined. "Come on guys, if I-" she hesitated. "What - what happened last night?" The bits and pieces in her memory were not forming a complete picture, but she was starting to fill in the blanks.</p>
<p>"You were all over Cat Noir, girl," said Alya with a mix of amusement and sympathy. "And then he took you into the bedroom and there you stayed for more than an hour."</p>
<p>Alya's words were like a punch in the gut. It knocked all the breath from her lungs, and seemed to help call forth memories, words, feelings, sensations. She remembered feeling an immense and overwhelming attraction to him. A need to just hold him and touch him and - "Oh my God." She buried her scarlet face in her hands.</p>
<p>"Marinette, honey, did he hurt you?"</p>
<p>She shook her head. "No, no. I just - I think I might have embarrassed myself. Cat did nothing wrong." If anything, she’d been the one in the wrong. She cringed as more fragments surfaced in her mind. Had she really said and done those things? And if she had, what did Cat now think of her? That he might never come see her again – she shied away from that thought only to run directly into another one almost as painful.</p>
<p>"My parents!" she gasped. </p>
<p>"Relax, I called them and told them you're sleeping over."</p>
<p>She fell silent. Cat, her parents – she glanced at Alya and Nino – were they disappointed in her too? Who was she kidding? Of course they were. “I should go home.”</p>
<p>"Have breakfast first," said Alya. "We made some hot cereal. There's some left on the stove. Here, I'll get it for you."</p>
<p>They sat in companionable silence while Marinette picked at her food.</p>
<p>"So, you're coming back to lycée with us?" Nino asked.</p>
<p>"Mmm."</p>
<p>"Alya mentioned that you're going to be working for Gabriel fashions as a designer also."</p>
<p>"Intern."</p>
<p>"does that mean you'll be working with Adrien?"</p>
<p>Marinette hesitated. She hadn't said much about the job. She hadn't even called Adrien to talk to him about it, or to see what he thought about it. Or even to thank him for the praise he’d heaped on her to his father.</p>
<p>"Yes," she said finally.</p>
<p>She only barely noticed the glances exchanged between Alya and Nino. "Marinette, do you still have feelings for Adrien?"</p>
<p>"Of course I do," she said, suddenly irritable. She knew where they were headed and she didn't like it. "But I'm not leading Cat Noir on.” The bubble of anger quickly popped, leaving her to sink back into morose thoughts. Cat Noir and her were nothing. A farce. They were friends at most. He knew it, and she knew it. All this talk with other people of their supposed relationship had gotten to her head, had made her think and feel like there could be more. And now, in the cold light of day, she could accept with bitterness that she did want more with him, and that, if his actions last night were any indication, he didn’t want that with her.</p>
<p>Alya's response was slow and careful as if to avoid sending Marinette into an angry fit. "But if Adrien showed up and said he liked you...."</p>
<p>Marinette swallowed. "that's not realistic, Alya. I'm not going to tell him how I feel. He already has a girlfriend. And he knows I'm with Cat. There's no point playing this game of what ifs. I care for him, and I care for Cat Noir. I'm not going to beat myself up over it, and tear myself apart trying to choose inside my own head." She got up and put the bowl in the sink. "Thanks for letting me stay the night. I'll see you guys around."</p>
<p>She rushed out before the tears began to fall.</p>
<p>#</p>
<p>"Hello, Maman."</p>
<p>"Sweetie," she said, eyes giving her a once over. There was a noticeable hesitation before she smiled. "How was the party?"</p>
<p>"Good." Marinette shuffled past the living room and up the stairs until she came to her trap door, where she scrambled through to the familiar sight of her bedroom. She closed the door with a satisfying click. She'd thought for sure her mother could read her shame on her face. Just having walked home in last night's dress had made her feel uncomfortable, as if everyone would know from the scant clues that she'd thrown herself at a guy… and had been soundly rejected.</p>
<p>tikki zoomed out of her bag, eyes full of concern. "Are you okay, Marinette?"</p>
<p>"I don't know, Tikki." She flopped on her chaise, kicking her sandals off and into a corner.</p>
<p>“You need to talk to Cat Noir,” Tikki said.</p>
<p>Marinette let out a short, harsh laugh. “Sure, Tikki. I’ll just call him up right now. Oh wait, I can’t. Not unless I transform and give away my identity.” She buried her face in her hands. “God, what was I thinking? How could I do something so insane?”</p>
<p>“It must’ve been the wine,” but even Tikki sounded doubtful.</p>
<p>“It was one glass. That doesn’t happen to someone who has one measly glass of wine, Tikki.” He already had a girlfriend for fuck's sake. What the hell was she thinking? How could she let that happen? “Have I gone completely insane, Tikki?”</p>
<p>"No, of course not, Marinette. A little confused maybe." The little God floated over to her stash of cookies and began munching. "You are in a delicate stage of your life. you're on the cusp of adulthood, and that means you're experiencing a lot of changes all at once. It's difficult for all humans, but especially for you, who not only has to juggle her normal life, but also her magical one as well."</p>
<p>Marinette’s thoughts paused as she considered Tikki’s words. Could her lapse in sanity be attributed to pressure? To this feeling of being pulled in multiple different directions? Even if it did, it didn’t change the fact that Cat wouldn’t know any of that. As it was so often the case, the reasons why she did what she did were magical in nature, and so would have to go unexplained, leaving her civilian self to feel the sting of humiliation.</p>
<p>"Last night was your chance to let some of the pressure off," Tikki went on thoughtfully. "I can't say I was not worried for you, but it seems to have been okay. Cat Noir was a gentleman - as much as any teenage boy could be."</p>
<p>“But what if he doesn’t forgive me?” She chewed on that thought, turning it over in her head again and again. It’d be okay, she decided. She’d braced herself for a life of solitude already. She’d seen what happened to Master Fu, both in terms of him sacrificing his relationship with the woman he  loved, and then, ultimately, sacrificing his memories. And all of it in service of his duty as guardian. She knew she was now destined to walk down that same road. If she started down it now, this very second, then it was okay. It had to be.</p>
<p>She did her best to ignore the bleeding inside her heart as she forced her mind away from Cat Noir, from the hopes and dreams that continued to circle like vultures, picking at her resolve again and again and again.</p>
<p>“Tikki,” she began, and something in her tone must have alerted the kwami that she was getting serious, because she floated to attention.</p>
<p>“Yes, Marinette?”</p>
<p>“I’ve been thinking about something.”</p>
<p>“Shoot.”</p>
<p>“The akumatizations have mostly occurred around this area. The sentimonsters though – Hawk Moth has been using them to rampage further away.” She twisted the hem of her dress as she worked on the problem. “Doesn’t that mean that Hawk Moth lives around here? I mean, there must be a range limit for the akumas. Do you know if that’s true?”</p>
<p>"I’m sorry, Marinette," said Tikki. "I think the akumas themselves are created where Hawk Moth is located. He then lets them fly out in search of their host. I don’t know anything about there being a limit on how far the akuma can travel."</p>
<p>“Oh.” Did that mean that he just periodically sent out an akuma and it snagged the first unhappy person that it found? That still meant he had to live nearby, didn’t it? But surely he had some control over where the akumas went, didn’t he? Somehow, the akumatizations didn’t feel random. They couldn’t be, now that she thought about it. He had to know where the akumas were headed because he had to coordinate the sentimonsters to join them.</p>
<p>Marinette worried her lip. "Surely he controls where the akuma goes, at least a little bit, doesn't he?"</p>
<p>Tikki descended to the desk where she pulled a cookie from her stash. "Maybe. Master Fu would have known."</p>
<p>"Ahem." Wayzz floated up from behind the chaise. "I believe that I may be of some assistance, young Guardian."</p>
<p>Of course, she thought, hope waxing at the sight of the kwami of protection. Of all of them, Wayzz had spent the most time with Master Fu. Surely the topic of finding Hawk Moth would have been a principal concern.</p>
<p>“Hawk Moth can sense the negative emotions of his victims from a distance. Even when not transformed. He can then transform to create his deadly akuma and send it out, specifically guiding it toward its target.”</p>
<p>She frowned. " Hawk Moth can sense his victim’s emotions even while not transformed?” That was a troubling thought. An ability like that would make him far more adept at manipulating the people around him.</p>
<p>"Yes," Wayzz affirmed.</p>
<p>She forced herself to set aside that issue in favor of the more pressing concern. "How far does this sensing range extend?"</p>
<p>Wayzz frowned. "That I do not know, young Guardian."</p>
<p>Wayzz’s words did not deter her. If anything, she became more excited the more she thought about it. If she plotted out the akumatizations, was it possible that they would reveal something about Hawk Moth’s location? “Tikki, I need a map!”</p>
<p>“Caution, Marinette,” Tikki said delicately. “Hawk Moth might have taken steps to prevent you from using this strategy to locate him.”</p>
<p>“Master Fu did consider retrieving your miraculous after the incident where you dropped your history textbook,” Wayzz admitted. “Despite your ruse about your age, we knew that would not truly fool Hawk Moth. He may have suspected that you attend Francoise Dupont, and that may be the true reason why the area around your school has been so heavily akumatized.”</p>
<p>Marinette deflated a little, but perked up again. “No, I don’t believe it. I mean, yes, it’s possible, but it’s still worth investigating. If it were true that he could akumatize people further afield, then he would have done so this summer. Rather he was forced to resort to sentimonsters to draw us from our home turf. That has to mean there’s a range limit on his akumas. It has to.”</p>
<p>Instead of responding, the kwamis darted away, vanishing from sight. A moment later, there was a gentle rapping at her window.</p>
<p>"Princess?" came Cat's anxious voice. "You there? Can we talk?"</p>
<p>She scrambled up to her bed and undid the latch on her window.</p>
<p>"Cat!" she exclaimed as he spilled onto her bed. He looked so anxious and scared that she was instantly on alert. "Cat, what's wrong? Is there an akuma?"</p>
<p>“No,” he said. His tail flicked agitatedly to and fro. “I needed to talk. About last night.”</p>
<p>Oh, right. She’d been so exhausted thinking about her not-relationship with Cat, and so excited at this possible clue to Hawk Moth’s location, that it took effort to drag herself back into the numbing quagmire of emotions left behind in the wake of last night’s party.</p>
<p>“Talk about what?” She was pretty sure she could guess, but it was also easier to just let him speak, to sit back and listen. This was it. Was he going to tell her he couldn’t see her? Only this time, it wouldn’t be because of any concern for her safety. It would be because he decided she was a creep, and he was better off without her.</p>
<p>“I think you’re beautiful too.”</p>
<p>Huh? She lifted her gaze up and stared at him blankly.</p>
<p>“Last night,” he explained haltingly, “you said I was beautiful. I wanted to tell you that I think you’re beautiful too.”</p>
<p>“Cat….” Of all the things she expected him to say this was not it. Yet she also couldn’t help but think that it was probably just the prelude to the break up of their not-relationship. After all, Cat was the sort of person who would try to be gentle about it, and starting by telling her he thought she was beautiful was about as gentle as it could start.</p>
<p>He ran a clawed hand through his already mussed hair. “Marinette, I don’t know what I’m doing. I know that. I’m not perfect. But the time we’ve spent together over these past few months… it’s precious to me. I stayed up all night thinking about it.” He stopped and looked her in the eye. “I can’t lose you, Marinette. The truth is, I have feelings for you-“</p>
<p>As he spoke, word after word passing through his lips, Marinette felt something inside unclench. The fear of losing him, which had lived with her all these months, which had peaked in the aftermath of last night, suddenly released.</p>
<p>“-and I know it’s wrong… I know I have no right when you know I have a girl in my civilian life, but I don’t know how to turn these feelings off. The truth is, you complete me-“</p>
<p>As if a dam were breaking inside her, a flood of emotions carried her forward – one she was helpless to resist. She leaned in and kissed him. Again. Only this time, he kissed her back.</p>
<p>"Sweetie, would you like some breakfas-" The sound of the trap door crashing open made them both freeze in place.</p>
<p>Marinette pulled back from his touch and turned. Her mother was looking up at her with an expression of horror.</p>
<p>"You!" she screamed, climbing fully into the bedroom, her gaze settling on Cat.</p>
<p>"Maman, no! It's not what it looks like!" </p>
<p>But it was no use. There was no excuse, no explanation, no words that could soothe away the hurt, the anger, the betrayal.</p>
<p>"HOW DARE YOU SNEAK IN HERE AND TAKE ADVANTAGE OF MY DAUGHTER! I'LL KILL YOU! GET OUT OF HERE RIGHT THIS INSTANT!"</p>
<p>Cat Noir backed up toward the window. He eyed it longingly.</p>
<p>Coward, Marinette thought irritably. "Oh no you don't, Cat. You're not going anywhere. We're all going to talk about-" She froze as a familiar dark shape fluttered toward them from outside her window.</p>
<p>No, it couldn't happen like this. Not Cat. Not again. Anything but that. </p>
<p>Her brain seemed to go into overdrive, an entire constellation of plans and possibilities zinging through her mind before a single path materialized through the haze of danger. They were all vulnerable, but there was only one person among them that she could allow to be akumatized.</p>
<p>Just go along with it, she pleaded with her eyes as she yanked him away from the window and toward her.</p>
<p>“Maman! I love Cat Noir! There’s nothing you can say or do to stop me.”</p>
<p>Her mother had just grabbed a pair of scissors off her desk when she froze at Marinette’s words. “Marinette, you don’t mean that! He’s using you, sweetheart. Please, I’m begging you. Come down from there right now. Get away from him.”</p>
<p>Tears began to stream down her mother’s face, but Marinette pressed forward ruthlessly. “I do too mean it, and if you dare try to stop us, then I’ll run away with him… and I’ll never come back.”</p>
<p>As the words registered, the fight seemed to drain from her mother as quickly as the blood from her face. The scissors fell from her suddenly nerveless fingers. She sank down to her knees and put her face in her hands as she began to weep.</p>
<p>"What happened to my little girl who loved sunshine and flowers?" The sound of her wretched sobbing cut deep inside Marinette.</p>
<p>“Marinette-“ Cat began.</p>
<p>“Shh. Don’t move. Akuma.” </p>
<p>She ignored the sudden sharpness in his gaze as she crushed her own heartache down deep inside. She tracked the akuma as it beat its dark wings past Cat’s ear.</p>
<p>“Come on, come on,” she murmured, letting out a breath as it dove past them, and right into her mother’s hairpin.</p>
<p>"Get me out of here," whispered Marinette. "She'll almost certainly be after me and you. Which means we can draw her to a battleground of our choosing."</p>
<p>Cat looked at her warily, as though he suddenly didn’t recognize her. “Did you just push your mother into getting akumatized?”</p>
<p>“Don’t look at me like that. It was either her or you. Hurry, the transformation is almost complete.” She snatched her purse off her bed post, praying Tikki had had the sense to slip inside. There was nothing for it now. They had to leave.</p>
<p>The roar that followed as they sped away shook the house to its foundations. The roof was shattered as Catpocalypse powered through it.</p>
<p>"Drop me off in an alley," Marinette commanded. "I'll need room to maneuver."</p>
<p>"You're going to go and hide," he said firmly.</p>
<p>"Yes, of course," she replied quickly. "But if the akuma finds me, I'll need to be able to have an exit. I just meant not to put me at the top of the Notre Dame or something."</p>
<p>He looked at her curiously as he deposited her a few blocks away. "Sometimes, you're as scary as Ladybug."</p>
<p>"Go on," she said, giving him a hug and a kiss. "I'll be safe."</p>
<p>"Promise me you won't try to join me in the fight," he said, searching her eyes. "You don't have to prove yourself to me.”</p>
<p>"I promise. Now go. Or she'll catch us both."</p>
<p>CAT NOIR!" The roar made the very air shiver with its fury.</p>
<p>Marinette turned and sprinted away, dashing down a street. People were already clearing the area. She sprinted another two blocks before ducking into yet another alley. There was no time, so she didn't even bother opening her bag. Either Tikki was there or she wasn't. "Tikki, spots on!"</p>
<p>She held her breath for a timeless moment. Then the familiar pink light washed over her. A second later, Marinette was gone and in her place stood Ladybug.</p>
<p>#</p>
<p>Cat stared in fascinated horror as Catpocalypse pounced after him. Like him, she had ears, and a tail and claws. But unlike him, she had a cataclysm power that appeared to be always active. Anything she touched with her hands disintegrated. He darted around her on the rooftop, batting away her attacks with strikes to arms and legs. At one point, he struck her across the throat. She made a horrible gurgling sound, and he feared he'd severely injured Marinette's mother. But then the outline of a purple butterfly glowed over her, and she was back to leaping and snarling and pouncing.</p>
<p>"She's as fast as I am!" he shouted to Ladybug. "And as strong!"</p>
<p>"Back up then and let's regroup!" Ladybug snagged him around the waist and they volleyed three buildings away in a single bound.</p>
<p>"Thanks," he said, shaking. "I'm sorry. I'm having trouble fighting her."</p>
<p>"I can see that," said Ladybug coolly. "Someone you know?"</p>
<p>"My girlfriend's mother," he said absently, before realizing who he was speaking to. "Er-"</p>
<p>"Later," Ladybug said. "Do you know what the akumatized item is?"</p>
<p>"No. We rushed away when she was transforming."</p>
<p>"We? Oh I see. Your girlfriend."</p>
<p>"Look, I'm sorry-"</p>
<p>"Not now."</p>
<p>Catpocalypse landed on the building adjacent to them. They turned and studied her.</p>
<p>"Kill you," she said with quiet menace. She then hissed before leaping at them.</p>
<p>Ladybug and Cat darted to either side. The akuma tracked Cat and pounced. He re-engaged, batting her around with his staff - the only advantage he had in the fight.</p>
<p>He barely heard her shout lucky charm as he dodged another attack. Only this time, he was pitched sideways as the akuma managed to tag his staff. He watched with dismay as it disintegrated.</p>
<p>"Get to the swimming pool!" Ladybug cried waving a pair of bathing shorts at him.</p>
<p>He didn't need telling twice. He turned tail and ran.</p>
<p>"Yeah, but what do I do when I get there?" he muttered, leaping building after building, Catpocalypse nipping at his heels.</p>
<p>Finally, he managed to hit the roof of the swimming pool. He cataclysmed it and fell through. "AAAAHHHH!" he cried as he took a dive into the deep end. He turned and watched Catpocalypse falling after him. The moment he hit the water, he swam powerfully down and away to the side. Behind him, he vaguely heard the spasming of the akuma. When he turned, he saw she was surrounded in water vapor. Of course, he thought. She can't swim because she keeps disintegrating the water molecules touching her hand. Ladybug followed, visible as a dark shape through the water. She swam around the akuma, grabbing her hair and yanking something away. The akuma's powers broke, and Marinette's mother sank, eyes wide and terrified. Cat swam after her, grabbing her and pulling her to the surface just as ladybugs swarmed over them.</p>
<p>"Mrs. Cheng," Cat Noir gasped, "Are you all right?"</p>
<p>"What - what happened? Where am I?" She looked up into his worried face and then around at the pool and then at Ladybug. She then sagged in his arms, turning listless and unresponsive.</p>
<p>Ladybug helped her out of the pool and to a nearby chair. "Ma-am?" Ladybug began awkwardly. "Are you all right?"</p>
<p>"My baby girl," she whispered. "I've lost her."</p>
<p>Cat Noir stood by anxiously. "Is she going to be akumatized again?"</p>
<p>Ladybug shrugged helplessly. "I don't know, but I have to go."</p>
<p>"Yeah, me too."</p>
<p>Regretfully, he followed Ladybug away.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0005"><h2>5. Chapter 5</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The silence at the dinner table was broken only by the clicking of utensils on dishes. Marinette stared moodily into her souffle. It was a lovely meal, as all their meals were. She thought of how much love her parents put into their food.</p>
<p>Papa's eyes flickered back and forth between Maman and herself. Marinette wanted to apologize, but every time she braced herself to open her mouth, she remembered her mother's words: What happened to my little girl who loved sunshine and flowers? Because Marinette couldn't really say what happened to her. She remembered her. She remembered the days when she loved sitting up on her balcony tending to her flowers. She remembered loving the colors for their own sake. And yet, now she could admit to herself that she wasn't that girl anymore. That girl had vanished, bit by bit, as the years wore on. As she grew up.</p>
<p>"Last night," her mother asked suddenly, her voice cutting  through the silence like a knife. "Was he there last night?"</p>
<p>Marinette nodded.</p>
<p>"Did you two... do anything?"</p>
<p>"Maman-"</p>
<p>"Just answer the question, Marinette."</p>
<p>"We kissed."</p>
<p>"Anything else?" Her mother pressed.</p>
<p>Papa put a hand on her arm. "Let it go, Sabine."</p>
<p>"I have a right to-"</p>
<p>"The poor girl's stressed enough as it is. If you keep going, you're going to get her akumatized."</p>
<p>Maman pursed her lips. "I just want to know what's happening." She looked over at Marinette. "It feels like we're losing you."</p>
<p>"You're not losing me," she replied, not quite looking up. "I love you more than ever, Maman. You and Papa both. I love you more than life itself. I don't want to hurt you."</p>
<p>“You lied to us. We told you not to have Cat Noir over in your bedroom anymore. You let us believe that you were-“ Her mother shook her head. “Why am I even bothering? You don’t respect us. You don’t listen to us. You’re always disappearing. No explanations. And now with all this fighting and boys and being expelled.”</p>
<p>Marinette's jaw tightened with frustration. I'm Ladybug, her mind shouted. Don't you understand? Can't you understand? I can't talk to you. I can't talk to anyone.</p>
<p>But in the absence of ranting about being Ladybug, she could not think of a plausible explanation that could even remotely justify her actions. There was literally no reason not to have an explanation from her parents' perspective. This couldn't go on, she realized. They were suspicious and afraid. She needed an answer.</p>
<p>The answer, such as it was, must have been formulating somewhere in her unconscious, because it seemed to well up in her throat and push past her lips without conscious thought. "I am a temporary superhero."</p>
<p>Silence.</p>
<p>Even Marinette was caught off guard by her own statement. And yet it wasn't the result of her being a babbling mess. Rather, the more she thought about it, the more it felt right. She turned the statement over in her mind, examining it from all perspectives. It didn't endanger Ladybug's identity per se, except in so far as it would make Marinette a bigger target for Hawk Moth, assuming he ever found out, which would only happen if he akumatized one of her parents again. But even then, it could only be to her advantage by making her an even more tempting target for capture.</p>
<p>"You’re a superhero?" her mother asked, confusion in her voice. She too seemed to be trying to understand what this meant for her daughter.</p>
<p>Marinette nodded. "They call on me from time to time whenever there’s a tough akuma they need help with. I am Multimouse.” The more she spoke, the more the lies fell into place, half-truth after half-truth weaving together to form a tapestry of deception.</p>
<p>"So that's how you know Cat," her mother said.</p>
<p>"Yes," Marinette went on. "So you see, it's not just a passing fling or some silly crush. I know him very well. He's saved my life, and I've saved his. There's no one else in this world I trust more. And I want you to know that he's never once pressured me into doing anything. He's been nothing but kind to me. But he's also lonely. He's kind and he's compassionate and he has no one else in the world except me and Ladybug who can understand what he goes through. And Ladybug's made it clear she is not interested in him. This means that I can’t just not be there for him. He needs me. I’m sorry, but me spending time with him is very important."</p>
<p>“But how come you never told us? We’re your parents, ma petite,” asked her father.</p>
<p>She breathed a mental sigh of relief. If they were going back to pet names, then the danger was mostly passed. “I was sworn to secrecy. Even telling you now is a risk. If you were ever akumatized, then Hawk Moth would know I am a superhero. It is a burden and a responsibility, but it is one that I am proud to carry. For Ladybug. For Paris.”</p>
<p>"It’s why you disappear without explanation, and why you’re always so secretive… and it's why you're learning to fight," her mother said, nodding. Relief painted her features.</p>
<p>"Yes. Even if I am not given a miraculous, I still try to help during akuma attacks by helping others to escape. Her gaze softened. “I am sorry for what I said today, Maman. Please believe me. I saw the akuma coming, and it was my duty to make sure that Cat Noir wasn’t akumatized. I never meant to hurt you. I promise I would never up and run away with Cat Noir.”</p>
<p>"I'm glad you told us," she said, leaning over and squeezing her hand. "I can't say I completely agree that you should be burdened with this terrible responsibility. But I am nonetheless proud of you for doing this to help Paris. Marinette, my sweet child, we love you so much. We of course will help. We will be in your corner to support you."</p>
<p>"See?" Papa said jovially. "Trust and communication ma petite. That is the basis of a strong, loving relationship."</p>
<p>"Speaking of which," added Maman. "I know very well how something like this secret of yours can make you feel older and more mature. That goes doubly for Cat Noir. But please remember that you are still young, and you should not rush into this relationship. Things you do with Cat Noir - you will not be able to take them back. I also want to be notified whenever he comes over. I understand if he cannot simply walk through the front door, but you will tell us in advance when he arrives and when he leaves. I am serious about this, Marinette."</p>
<p>"Yes, and thank you, Maman," Marinette murmured.</p>
<p>They ate dinner in a more peaceful silence. Yet anxiety twisted in Marinette's gut. She had just lied to her parents again. This time, she  had lied so expertly she had trouble believing it. It felt like something she ought to have been concerned about, and yet she could only feel satisfaction that she'd dodged another bullet.</p>
<p>Just put one foot in front of the next, she told herself. One day, it'll take you to Hawk Moth, and you'll cut out his black heart. And then this will all be over.</p>
<p>#</p>
<p>"Marinette, you've been standing in front of the mirror for nearly an hour!" Tikki exclaimed.</p>
<p>"I know, I know. I just want to look good for my first day of school." She continued to study herself, compact in hand.</p>
<p>"I hope this isn't because you're going to be seeing Adrien today."</p>
<p>"No of course not, Tikki." But the blush that stained her cheeks betrayed her.</p>
<p>"Marinette! Need I remind you that you're dating Cat Noir?" Her kwami crossed her arms over her chest.</p>
<p>"Am I?" Marinette asked, turning to face her kwami. "Am I really?"</p>
<p>"What's that supposed to mean?"</p>
<p>"He has a girlfriend, Tikki. A real girlfriend who he can see anytime. Who can see him, his family. They can go out to the movies or for a picnic. They can steal kisses and glances and hold hands in school hallways. They can call each other whenever they're sad or lonely or need a friend."</p>
<p>"You want to know who he is under the mask."</p>
<p>"I do." She hurried to add, "But I know I can't. Arghh. It's so frustrating. How did I end up in this mess, Tikki?"</p>
<p>She began packing up her supplies, selecting the few essentials to slide into her handbag.</p>
<p>"Love is sometimes messy."</p>
<p>"If love is a choice," she said, grabbing her things and heading downstairs, "then I've been making some pretty terrible decisions."</p>
<p>#</p>
<p>Marinette picked her way through the throng of milling students in search of her new locker. It was just like it'd been back before she'd met Alya. Before she became Ladybug. It felt like everyone else here had already made friends and were laughing and having fun while she navigated the halls, frazzled and alone.</p>
<p>It's all in your head, she told herself. And besides, you have friends. You have Tikki. That's a better friend than anyone else you could ask for. She opened her purse a sliver and made sure Tikki was there. Reassured by the pair of big blue eyes peeking up at her, she closed her purse and continued on.</p>
<p>Marinette was just closing her locker door when she turned to see Adrien standing next to her.</p>
<p>"Gah!" she cried out, leaping back and throwing her bookbag at him.</p>
<p>"Whoa!" He caught the projectile by the straps, but inadvertently up-ended it, causing books and papers and other things to go flying across the floor.</p>
<p>Marinette stared, horrified at the scene of chaos.</p>
<p>The hall had thankfully thinned of students, but a few still passed by. One absently kicked her math textbook down the hall. She watched it shrink into the distance.</p>
<p>"Jeez, I'm sorry, Marinette," Adrien said, kneeling to pick up her things. "I didn't mean to startle you."</p>
<p>"Startled - you - mean - me - no it's fine - I just - first day school jitters." She turned and ran away to go collect her wayward textbook. When she finally nabbed it, she didn't immediately head back. She wanted to smack herself with the heavy hardcover, but that would not only make her look deranged, but also mess up her makeup.</p>
<p>"Marinette?" That was Adrien, who'd come up behind her.</p>
<p>"Yes," she replied, employing every technique she could think of to calm herself. She couldn't believe this was happening.</p>
<p>"I couldn't help but notice that we have the exact same class schedule."</p>
<p>She turned slowly, as if to keep from provoking a nearby viper, and stared at his outstretched hand, which contained her class timetable. He'd slung her bookbag over one shoulder, his own on the other.</p>
<p>"Thanks," she squeaked, taking the timetable.</p>
<p>"Do you - want to walk together?" he ventured.</p>
<p>The uncertainty in his tone bolstered her confidence. She never wanted Adrien to feel uncertain or possibly unwanted. "Yes, yes I do."</p>
<p>As they headed to class, he went on, "Pretty cool that we're going to be able to spend time together again. I heard you'll be working with me as a fashion design intern."</p>
<p>She kept silent. This school had almost a thousand students in it. How in the world was her locker placed right next to Adrien's? Did the universe hate her?</p>
<p>"Yeah," she said. "I was pretty startled when Nathalie offered me the job. Did you... have anything to do with it?"</p>
<p>This question had burned in the back of her mind. She'd resolved not to ask him, but now that he was here and talking about it, she couldn't help herself.</p>
<p>Adrien smiled ruefully. "I kind of wish I did, but no. My dad mentioned it after the akuma fight. You know, Enchantress. I told him I thought it was a great idea though. And I am happy we can go to school together again."</p>
<p>She nodded, her mind sliding back to the last time they'd been in school together. That'd been the day of her expulsion. She hadn't talked about it. Even thinking about it made her feel like something hard and jagged was slicing her up inside.</p>
<p>"Look," he went on, "I'm really sorry about what happened-"</p>
<p>"I have to go!" she cried, "... to the bathroom! See you in class bye!" She yanked her bag from his shoulder, turned and bolted in the other direction. She didn't stop until she'd rounded the corner and was out of his sight.</p>
<p>"Marinette, Tikki whispered anxiously. "Are you okay?"</p>
<p>"I don't know, Tikki," she whispered back. Her heart was racing, and a sudden and powerful mix of emotions had surged inside her. It was as if she'd been back there in that hallway all those months ago with all those accusing eyes. With Adrien watching her, silent judgment radiating off him. Somehow, seeing Adrien, and being in school, and having him bring it up had transported her back in time to that moment.</p>
<p>"I thought I'd gotten over it," she muttered. She'd spent a lunchtime with Adrien and the others in that cafe over the summer. It hadn't affected her at all back then. The more she stood there, the more she yearned to retreat to her bedroom - her safe space - and hide from school and the world. The more she yearned to be in Cat Noir's arms.</p>
<p>"Maybe coming to school was a mistake."</p>
<p>"No, Marinette!" Tikki whispered furiously. "You can't hide from the world. You shut yourself in your room all summer, coming out only to go to martial arts class or to help your parents in the bakery. You'll never move on if you don't learn to interact with the rest of the world. I know it's scary, Marinette, but you have to try. Otherwise, Lila will have won."</p>
<p>Just hearing that foul harpy's name coming from her kwami made Marinette stiffen. If there were ever a card Tikki could use to get her to do something, it was playing off her loathing for that witch.</p>
<p>"Okay," Marinette said, taking a deep breath. "Okay, you're right. Let's go to class."</p>
<p>#</p>
<p>Stupid, stupid, stupid, Adrien thought, repeatedly admonishing himself. Why'd he bring up the expulsion? She already looked like a deer caught in headlights. He wished fervently not for the first time that there was someone in his life he could talk to about this sort of thing. Hopefully he didn't spook her so bad she didn't show up to class.</p>
<p>"Adrien!" A familiar blonde was waving excitedly at him to come over.</p>
<p>Chloé. He inwardly sighed and headed to where she was sitting. Sabrina was there too. In fact, now that he looked around, he recognized a number of students from last year's class, including Nathaniel, Rose, and Juleka.</p>
<p>"Hi Chloé," he said, taking the seat next to her.</p>
<p>"I'm so happy we're in class together," she said brightly. "It's just like old times."</p>
<p>"Right." Part of him wanted to shake her and shout at her that she'd joined Hawk Moth. But part of him wanted to at least try to be nice to her. He'd known she'd sequestered herself away for the summer, and that her parents had forced her to see a therapist. In his guise as Cat Noir, he’d heard from Officer Raincomprix that it was part of a quiet plea deal to keep her from being arrested. Not even the mayor could protect his little girl if the public found out about her voluntary cooperation with the supervillain.</p>
<p>Adrien could tell from Chloé's expression alone when Marinette stepped into the room. Her voice stuttered, and her eyes widened and then narrowed. Adrien looked behind him to see Marinette in the entrance way. Their gazes locked, but the moment she saw him with Chloé, she turned and headed to the farthest empty desk in class.</p>
<p>Adrien sighed and turned to face forward as the instructor called for their attention.</p>
<p>#</p>
<p>Marinette had zipped out of class the moment the bell rang. Adrien delicately extricated himself from Chloé's presence and rushed after her, but she had vanished from the hall as well.</p>
<p>No matter, he thought. He knew her class schedule after all. However, Marinette proved elusive for the rest of the morning, slipping into class just prior to the start of class and departing immediately when it ended. She also had a knack for keeping people between him and her, making it hard for him to pin her down without making a scene.</p>
<p>Adrien was nothing if not determined, but when lunch came and he returned to his locker to wait for her, he discovered that she'd emptied her locker. Even the lock was gone. Panic shot through him. Was she abandoning class? He knew she was seventeen, so it wasn't like she couldn't skip school. He ran his fingers agitatedly through his hair.</p>
<p>"Plagg," he murmured. "What the hell did I do?"</p>
<p>"It' ain't your fault kid," the kwami said, poking a head out of his shirt pocket. "That kitten's got issues."</p>
<p>Adrien grimaced. "There has to be more to it than that. She's - it's like she's a different person around me." And it was him and only him. Something about him made her feel uncomfortable. He'd long since come to accept it, but he'd also come to expect that she'd learned to deal with it. Today, she'd reached a whole new level of weird.</p>
<p>Marinette did show up to her later classes. He was relieved to see it, but there was also a burgeoning seed of frustration. Marinette seemed to be bound and determined to confuse him at every turn. Of course, part of that was that he also knew her as Cat Noir. And the Marinette that interacted with Cat Noir was nothing like the Marinette that interacted with Adrien Agreste.</p>
<p>"Hey, dude."</p>
<p>"Nino!" Adrien exclaimed as he stepped into science class. He made straight for the seat next to his best friend. "I'm glad we have at least one class together."</p>
<p>"Me too, but maybe if you weren't so busy you could've let me know your schedule and we could have worked something out."</p>
<p>Adrien sighed. "It's not that simple. My father dictated my schedule based on my extracurriculars. I had no say in it, and was only given my timetable this morning."</p>
<p>"Seriously?" Nino's brows furrowed. "Dude, this can't go on forever. You're seventeen. You don't even have to go to school if you don't want to."</p>
<p>Adrien snorted. "I couldn't imagine telling my father I'm dropping out."</p>
<p>They both shared a smile imagining what Gabriel Agreste would do in that situation.</p>
<p>"Oy, Alya!" Nino stood and waved her over.</p>
<p>Next to her, Marinette scurried along, her gaze flitting here and there - anywhere but on him.</p>
<p>Seriously? he thought, suddenly annoyed. She can't even look at me?</p>
<p>The girls took seats behind them in a position eerily reminiscent of Mme. Bustier's class.</p>
<p>"Hey, hot stuff," Alya said, winking at Adrien. "How's things with the lifestyles of the rich and famous?"</p>
<p>"Life's good. Sorry I missed the party."</p>
<p>"No prob." She glanced at Marinette. "Though you did miss out on meeting one of Paris' very own superheroes."</p>
<p>"Cat Noir was there, right? Is he as handsome and as charming as he appears on tv?"</p>
<p>Marinette muttered something that sounded like, "Oh please."</p>
<p>"Dude, he was way cool," replied Nino. "He's not uptight at all, and doesn't take himself too seriously. Kim wanted to arm wrestle him though, but we never got the chance."</p>
<p>"Oh?" Adrien smiled as he prodded his friends to keep talking. there was something immensely satisfying about hearing people talk about Cat Noir.</p>
<p>Alya gave Marinette a quick glance that might've been an apology or a smirk. "Yeah, Marinette wasn't feeling too well and had to lie down."</p>
<p>"I don't know what happened," she burst out, her cheeks reddening. "Are you sure that was just a cup of wine? I've had wine before. We're French for Pete’s sake. I drink wine like fish drink water."</p>
<p>"I don't know what to tell you, girl. You were drinking the same thing everyone else was."</p>
<p>"What happened?" Adrien made sure to keep his voice detached and blandly curious.</p>
<p>"Nothing," Marinette said quickly. "I just needed to lie down and have some rest."</p>
<p>"Lightweight," Alya teased. "Cat was very concerned. He wouldn't leave Marinette's side."</p>
<p>"Shouldn't this class have started like two sentences ago?" she mumbled.</p>
<p>Luckily, Marinette was saved from any further talk by the teacher calling the class to order.</p>
<p>#</p>
<p>"Are you sure you want to carry around all your school books all day long?" Tikki asked from her purse.</p>
<p>"I'm tough, Tikki. I can handle it." And if it means not embarrassing myself in front of Adrien throughout the school day, it'll be worth it.</p>
<p>Marinette shuffled nervously into the offices of Agreste Fashions. This was her first official job, and she had no idea what to expect. Everything here looked exquisite. The whole place oozed money, but in a way that was tasteful and designed to intimidate. And it was working, because Marinette was very intimidated.</p>
<p>"I have an appointment with-" she began as she stood before the receptionist.</p>
<p>"Name?"</p>
<p>"Marinette Dupain-"</p>
<p>"Have a seat please. Someone will be along shortly to escort you to your appointment."</p>
<p>"Um, thank you." </p>
<p>Marinette slinked over to a nearby armchair and made herself comfortable. Ten minutes later, she was led down two corridors to a small office.</p>
<p>"Liz Werner," said her interviewer, standing and shaking Marinette's hand. "Have a seat, Miss Dupain-Cheng."</p>
<p>"Thank you."</p>
<p>She glanced around, taking in the office and its principal occupant.</p>
<p>"I understand that you are our newest intern," Liz replied casually. "And quite possibly our youngest ever." She turned to her computer and scrolled through what Marinette gathered was her CV. "I see you've spent considerable time on your own designing, and that you have some noteworthy accomplishments."</p>
<p>"Thank you," Marinette replied quietly.</p>
<p>"I do however need to stress that talent is only one facet of design work. I would go so far as to say that it is perhaps the least important. Patience, hard work, a good attitude and a willingness to learn - these are all crucial to success in this field."</p>
<p>Marinette nodded. "I completely understand, Mme. Werner. I am ready to work at the bottom and am nothing but grateful for this opportunity."</p>
<p>Liz smiled, but there was no warmth in it. "I am glad to hear it, but I encourage you to hold your gratitude until you actually succeed. Many people have entered the fashion world with hope and resolve in their hearts. Most of them are crushed out of the system, reduced to burnt out wrecks before they ever truly had a chance to shine. This is not a forgiving world."</p>
<p>"I am prepared to try."</p>
<p>"Good, good. I will introduce you to the design team shortly. But before that, the bane of all organizations." She produced a stack of paperwork. She had just put the first document down in front of her for her to read when the faint sound of the akuma alert rang throughout the city. She stiffened and looked at Liz.</p>
<p>"We keep working," Liz said without hesitation. "Those are standing orders from Monsieur Agreste himself."</p>
<p>For a moment, Marinette debated making an excuse anyway. But the look in Liz Werner's eyes - she knew she wouldn't be coming back if she did. Reluctantly, Marinette nodded. "Where do I sign?"</p>
<p>#</p>
<p>"Get... back... here..." Cat Noir huffed as he extended his staff once more to vault toward his prey.</p>
<p>He'd been fighting the sentimonster for more than an hour through the streets and on the rooves of downtown. Alone. With Ladybug nowhere in sight. And he was, for perhaps the first time ever, getting tired. The magical transformation gave him incredible stamina and strength, but an entire hour of non-stop high impact fighting was going beyond anything he'd had to do before.</p>
<p>He swung his staff at Dancer's head, but the sentimonster just backflipped away - right off the roof.</p>
<p>"Oh no you don't." He'd seen this trick before. The sentimonster would sometimes fall all the way down, shattering windows and cement along the way. But sometimes, it would grip the side of the building, waiting for Cat Noir to overextend and try to smack him.</p>
<p>The problem was that Dancer was playing defensively, preferring to dodge and deflect rather than attack. And she was fast and strong as akumas and sentimonsters often were. And because they were free to destroy - because they didn't have to defend civilians - Cat and Ladybug were always at a disadvantage, their greatest strength relying on each other to tag team the solo villains.</p>
<p>Cat Noir leapt over the building's edge, spinning his baton defensively to deflect incoming attacks as he fell. Dancer had let herself fall to the bottom. She struck the windows of a parked sedan, shattering them all in rapid succession before darting across the street. Cat Noir landed on the hood of the car and pounced. But Dancer managed to run up the side of another building and leap away. Cat landed on the ground, already preparing to leap up after her, when he caught sight of a familiar flash of red from the corner of his eye. Ladybug was there, and the sentimonster was trussed up in the string of her yoyo, hanging from the railing of a balcony. Ladybug swung down, breaking free the feather. She raveled the yoyo in a flash before launching it back out to catch the feather.</p>
<p>Cat Noir watched, more than a little frustrated. "Nice of you to drop by."</p>
<p>Now that the fight was over, he was starting to feel the ache. He shuddered to think how it would feel when he finally de-transformed.</p>
<p>"Sorry, Cat," she said. "I was held up."</p>
<p>"Must've been some date." He couldn't keep the venom from his voice.</p>
<p>She looked away, and he immediately felt terrible.</p>
<p>"Sorry," he mumbled.</p>
<p>"It's okay." She came up to him and put her hand on his shoulder. "I'd be angry too."</p>
<p>She threw her yoyo into the air and used her miraculous power to undo all the damage caused by the sentimonster.</p>
<p>"let's go," she said, sliding her hand down his arm so that she intertwined her fingers with his.</p>
<p>He frowned at the contact, but let her lead him into one of the nearby buildings. Even though it was early evening on a Monday, it was quiet as the grave. People wouldn't always know how long an attack would take, and this one had been particularly long. Cat had expected Ladybug to take him to the back so they could leap up from the alley, but instead, she pulled him into a storage room. She gave the place a once over before satisfied.</p>
<p>"I don't like what Hawk Moth's doing," she said. "I watched some of the footage of the attack before I got here. That sentimonster wasn't even trying to get your miraculous. It was just dragging out the fight."</p>
<p>"It wouldn't have dragged if you were there."</p>
<p>She bit her lip. "Maybe. I caught it by surprise, and I'd had a chance to study it before revealing myself. Maybe if I'd shown up at the beginning, things would've been different. But it does raise a worrying question. Did Hawk Moth know that I'd be unable to come right away when he sent it out?"</p>
<p>"Look, we can talk about this later, Ladybug. I'm beat, and at this point, I'd like to go home."</p>
<p>She nodded. "Okay. Well that's also why I brought you in here." She intertwined her hands and said, "Tikki, Kaalki, unify."</p>
<p>Light washed over her, altering her outfit.</p>
<p>"You're wearing more than one miraculous?" he asked, stunned.</p>
<p>She nodded. "While using Kalki, I can teleport us."</p>
<p>"But not home," he said. "That would reveal my identity."</p>
<p>"Just tell me where would be a good point to drop you off," she said.</p>
<p>He nodded, his gaze lingering on the new designs to her outfit. "Have you been using the horse miraculous at other times?"</p>
<p>"Yeah, a couple." She didn't elaborate.</p>
<p>He sighed. He was tired and hungry. Any more talking and he was liable to start picking a fight. "College Francoise Dupont," he said. "that's as good a place as any."</p>
<p>A minute later, she was zipping away, leaving him to stand on the roof alone. He turned to head home but hesitated. Nothing but a cold and lonely bedroom awaited him there. But there was somewhere else he could go.</p>
<p>#</p>
<p>Marinette had just finished feeding Tikki and was laying on her bed when she heard a knock at her window.</p>
<p>"Seriously?" she muttered. Yet it wasn't wholly a surprise. Cat had been agitated, and it'd been clear that nothing Ladybug was going to say or do was going to soothe his nerves.</p>
<p>"Come on in," she called.</p>
<p>The window slid open, and Cat Noir poured in like a waterfall of leather, curling around her protectively, possessively, even.</p>
<p>"I missed you," he said.</p>
<p>She held him and ran her fingers over his body and up through his hair and right behind his ears. "I missed you too."</p>
<p>"Mmm, that feels so good."</p>
<p>"Poor kitty," she murmured. "That must've been one tough akuma."</p>
<p>"Sentimonster," he mumbled into her shoulder.</p>
<p>"Right, sorry. You want to talk about it?"</p>
<p>"Not in the slightest," he said, but then went on. "I got a little angry at Ladybug. Ooh, keep scratching right there. Yes, that is heavenly."</p>
<p>She smiled. "Oh? You're angry at Paris' little superhero star?"</p>
<p>He snorted. "It's my fault. I shouldn't have taken my frustration out on her. I'll have to apologize."</p>
<p>"Tell me about it."</p>
<p>He peered up at her with kitten eyes. "You're not going to post it all over the internet, are you?"</p>
<p>She rolled her eyes. "Are you going to hold that photo over my head for the rest of our lives?" She made a show of lifting her fingers off his scalp.</p>
<p>He mewed. "No, I'm sorry. I'll never bring it up again. Just come back and give me more scritches."</p>
<p>"Okay, if you insist."</p>
<p>They lay there for minutes. Marinette luxuriated in the feel of him pressed up against her. It was intoxicating. Sometimes, she had trouble believing how warm and content it made her feel inside to just have him present. She didn't know where the need came from or what it meant, but she craved it. Every time he came by, something inside reared up begging for him to be near. She was powerless to resist it.</p>
<p>"Ladybug was late to the fight," he said. "I had to spend a million years fighting the most irritating sentimonster ever."</p>
<p>"A million years... that's a pretty long time."</p>
<p>"Yeah, isn't it? Anyway, when she did show up, she pretty much schooled the sentimonster within seconds. The sentimonster was caught before I even realized she was there."</p>
<p>Marinette grinned. "Is my kitty jealous?"</p>
<p>"It's annoying," he complained. "People already think of me as a sidekick. Now they're going to think I'm incompetent too. And Ladybug, I don't even think she noticed."</p>
<p>"She probably didn't," mused Marinette and then hurried to add, "It's often the ones we rely on the most - the ones we trust the most - that we tend to overlook. You've been with her since day one. You've fought in nearly every battle, and you've saved each other's lives again and again. You've probably come to expect that she'll be front and center in every battle. So when she isn't, it's frustrating. Same thing with her. She probably doesn't even notice how much you do for her in those battles because she's come to rely on you so much. Tell me honestly, would she have been able to nail that victory if you hadn't been occupying that sentimonster?"</p>
<p>"No," he said. "No, I don't think so. The sentimonster and I had gotten into a rut. We were basically doing the same thing over and over again. If Ladybug had had even a few minutes to watch, she would've been able to anticipate and knock out that sentimonster."</p>
<p>"I'm sure the same would be true if your roles are reversed," she said. "You could've done what she did too."</p>
<p>He snuggled closer to her. "I can't tell you how much I needed to hear that, Marinette."</p>
<p>"It warms my heart to know that I can do even this little bit for you, chaton."</p>
<p>"You do so much for me, Marinette."</p>
<p>the emotion that pressed outward from his gaze made her heart flutter. They leaned in to one another and kissed. When they pulled apart for air, she closed her eyes and sighed contentedly.</p>
<p>"How was your first day at school?" he asked finally as he looped strands of her hair around his fingers.</p>
<p>"Fine," she said.</p>
<p>"Nuh-uh," h. I expect a better answer than that."</p>
<p>"It's not worth talking about."</p>
<p>He nuzzled her neck. "Come on, I want to know."</p>
<p>She opened one eye and peered at him, a lazy little smile on her lips that slowly faded as she thought about the day's events. "There's not much to tell really. I met some old classmates and friends. I took notes in class."</p>
<p>"Go on," he prodded.</p>
<p>Her mind circled around the day's events, but couldn't find the words to talk about it.</p>
<p>"What?" Cat asked.</p>
<p>"It's nothing," she said more insistently. "It was just a day."</p>
<p>"I can tell when you're unhappy," Cat fired back. "And I know you well enough to know that if you're unhappy, it's because of something important. Don't shut me out."</p>
<p>He looked up at her with wide, soft eyes.</p>
<p>"No fair," she murmured. "You're a cat. You're not allowed to have puppy dog eyes."</p>
<p>"Is it working?"</p>
<p>She giggled. "It is."</p>
<p>"Good, then start talking. That or I'm going to challenge you to another round of Ultimate Mecha Strike 3, Truth or Dare edition."</p>
<p>She reached over and held him as she giggled into his shoulder. "You silly cat. I'm totally going to kick your ass the next time we play."</p>
<p>"Whenever you're ready, princess."</p>
<p>For a moment, she held onto him, a port in the storm of her emotions. Finally, she began to speak, "I'm still angry... and hurt." She kept her eyes closed, and she pressed her face into his neck. Felt the warm pulse of his blood on her lips, which gave her strength to keep talking. "I thought I'd gotten over it, but today, it all just flooded back into my head. Being in school, seeing the faces of the people who...."</p>
<p>"The expulsion," Cat said softly.</p>
<p>She squeezed her eyes shut more tightly. I'm not going to cry over this, she thought fiercely. Not again.</p>
<p>"Thirty minutes," she said. "That's all it took for everyone to turn their backs on me. People I'd known for years. People I fought for. My friends. Thirty fucking minutes, Cat. I can't - how do I trust again after that? If the people I cared about could just drop me like that - anyone could do it. No friendship is sacred. It just keeps hurting, and I don't know how to make it stop." She wiped away the few stray tears that had escaped. "It doesn't matter anyway. That's just the way life is, and I have to suck it up and accept it."</p>
<p>"No, you don't," Cat said. "You're a beautiful and wonderful girl, Marinette, and you have a big open heart. That's one of the wonderful things about you."</p>
<p>"I can't be vulnerable like that again," she said. "I refuse to be. It'll shatter me."</p>
<p>"Where does that leave us?" he asked.</p>
<p>Ugh, she thought. That was a messy topic. Briefly, she wondered if maybe she were in this relationship with Cat because deep down she knew it couldn't last. That the knowledge of its inevitable end made it somehow more bearable. Strange how hopelessness could be a comfort.</p>
<p>"Stray cats are an exception."</p>
<p>He hugged her. "I hope I'm the only stray cat for you."</p>
<p>"For now." She resumed stroking his hair.</p>
<p>Minutes later, she heard her mother calling her for dinner.</p>
<p>"That's my cue to leave."</p>
<p>"You could stay," she said with forced lightness. "For dinner, I mean. My parents want to spend time with you."</p>
<p>He swished his tail back and forth a few times as she waited with concealed anxiety. "No," he said slowly. "I... I should just go."</p>
<p>"Okay."</p>
<p>She watched him disappear through her window, leaving a cold space around her that seemed deeper than when he first arrived.</p>
<p>#</p>
<p>The flash of hot fury went unnoticed by all when Lila spotted Marinette at the photo shoot. Lila doubted that Marinette had even seen her yet, as she was busy scampering about at the behest of Monsieur Champlain, the sharp-eyed production supervisor.</p>
<p>"Make sure we have this in magenta as well," he said, turning away from Marinette as he continued to give her instructions. "And find out if Desbiens has brought back the cloaks from the cleaners."</p>
<p>"Yes, sir." Marinette turned, her head buried in her phone as she hurried to comply.</p>
<p>Being a model was the perfect gig for someone like Lila. She got to spend copious amounts of time observing, assessing and calculating. There was simply no way for someone like Dupain-Cheng to get in as a part-time fashion intern without help from Adrien himself. Or possibly Monsieur Agreste. The former possibility was irritating. The latter worrying. It would almost certainly mean that, somehow, Dupain-Cheng had curried favor with one of the Agreste men.</p>
<p>Lila'd played some big cards already to get rid of the person she saw as her principal rival for Adrien's affections. Even now, she spotted the way Adrien, who was all the way on the other side getting fitted, tracked Marinette with his gaze. He had never looked at her that way. Fuck, he'd never even looked at Kagami that way.</p>
<p>"Cheng! Come here!" shouted Champlain.</p>
<p>Lila smirked. Surely Dupain-Cheng was going to get it. But the smirk vanished an instant later as Champlain put Dupain-Cheng in front of Adrien. "Tell me your thoughts."</p>
<p>The foolish girl stuttered at first, but the soft, encouraging look from Adrien seemed to give her strength. Soon, she was rapidly firing off critical analysis. It sounded like horseshit to Lila, but Champlain's normally severe expression morphed into something thoughtful. </p>
<p>"Well?" he demanded to another aide. "I hope you were writing that down. Both of you will work together on showing me a mock-up for accessories for the winter line."</p>
<p>It wasn't fair, Lila thought. That bitch couldn't have been here more than a month, and she already had the supervisor's ear. It was as if the universe bent over backwards to give Marinette Fucking Dupain-Cheng every fucking opportunity.</p>
<p>Lila's attention was dragged back to the present as one of the beauticians was calling for her attention. Lila was going to have to take more serious steps to rid herself of this thorn in her side.</p>
<p>Later, Lila found herself sitting at a cafe with Kagami, listening to the prideful, self-obsessed princess wannabe prattle on about her fantasy life with Adrien. It made her want to puke.</p>
<p>"Adrien is so wonderful," Kagami continued. "He has asked me to attend the Christmas ball taking place at La Grand Paris."</p>
<p>"That's exciting," Lila said. </p>
<p>"Yet, it frustrates me that he continues to associate with that horrid girl, Chloé Bourgeois."</p>
<p>"Oh?" This was interesting and possibly useful. She'd never heard Kagami speak ill of anyone, opting instead to avoid any topic that would compel her to do so. "They're long-time friends, are they not? And she was a superhero once. I'm surprised you would say that about one of Adrien's friends."</p>
<p>Kagami, for all her training in politics, had a terrible poker face. "She intentionally aided Hawk Moth. She should be in prison. Not hosting parties."</p>
<p>Lila's eyes widened. She'd never heard this before. "What - what do you mean?"</p>
<p>"I shouldn't say," Kagami replied, shaking her head. "It is not my place. Yet it angers me to the point I feel I cannot control myself."</p>
<p>"Yes, but what happened? How do you know she willingly worked for Hawk Moth?" Lila couldn't help but lean forward. Kagami must have been talking about the Miracle Queen incident. There was talk that Kagami had briefly wielded another miraculous. She may actually have been in possession of confidential information.</p>
<p>"She was willingly akumatized by Hawk Moth." Kagami pitched her voice low to ensure she wasn't heard. "She retained all her memories of the incident and attempted to attack Ladybug even after having been de-akumatized. Hawk Moth was even there, and she declared her allegiance to Hawk Moth."</p>
<p>Lila leaned back as if struck. "Oh my. That's incredible." Lila herself couldn't recall what the rest of the conversation was with Kagami. She went on autopilot, expressing the appropriate level of horror at Chloé's actions. Inwardly though, she thought she might have found herself an ally - one who loathed both Marinette Dupain-Cheng and Ladybug as much as she did. And if not Chloé, well, at least she was a lead to Hawk Moth himself. For if there was one person in all of Paris who could put an end to Marinette Dupain-Cheng, it would be the supervillain. She just needed to be able to give something to him of comparable value. Like the identity of Ladybug or Cat Noir.</p>
<p>#</p>
<p>September passed in a flurry of activity that settled into a busy routine that kept Marinette exhausted and content. There was martial arts, school, her job, spending time with friends, and, of course, fighting akumas and sentimonsters.</p>
<p>And then there was private time with Cat. He came over once a week. Maybe twice. Each time left her wanting more from him, yet she never said anything, afraid of driving him away.</p>
<p>Ladybug and Cat had worked out some new strategies for dealing with their busy lives and navigating around Hawk Moth. They had a series of fixed rendezvous points which they would meet at. Ladybug would then teleport them to and from the fight. They also arranged email accounts where they could keep each other apprised of their situation if one couldn't make it to a fight. They also agreed that they would have to learn to accept leaving akumas and sentimonsters to run free for awhile before fighting if they were too busy in their civilian lives. Sometimes hours would go by before they reached an akuma to dispose of them. This had proven to have an added benefit in that they were often better prepared to fight, and the akuma was often more tired and prone to making mistakes. It also seemed to frustrate Hawk Moth, leading Marinette to daydream about the idea that he was unable to de-transform until she purified the dark butterfly. Sometimes she thought she sensed his rage through the akuma when they did finally show up to defeat it.</p>
<p>She didn't know if any of it was true, but it gave her hope that Hawk Moth wasn't all powerful - that there were weaknesses they could exploit. </p>
<p>Sometimes, she found herself gazing off into space, watching the other kwamis, lost in thought. They were ancient and powerful, and Tikki, she was given to understand, was formed at the dawn of the universe. Yet they seemed human in many ways, took on animal forms from Earth, and were bound to jewels that forced them into servitude to mere humans. There were so many questions that crowded around inside her head at their very existence. But for some reason, whenever she interacted with them, she hesitated to ask.</p>
<p>Tikki had been a part of her life for two years now, and Marinette couldn't even imagine a life without her. Even leaving aside the powers, Tikki's friendship and advice had been invaluable over the years. Marinette felt like she was a better person because of her kwami's guidance. But that was just it, wasn't it? Tikki wasn't a friend. </p>
<p>Marinette had been shocked to learn that she was just one in a long line of ladybugs. That if she broke one of Tikki's rules, she would be expected to relinquish her miraculous, in which case Tikki would leave her forever. She might even have her memory wiped, as had been done with Master Fu.</p>
<p>Sometimes, when Tikki looked at her, there was something alien in her gaze. Sometimes Marinette wondered if maybe the kind, almost maternal affection that Tikki had for her was just an act - an approximation of human emotions superimposed on an alien conscience - a facade crafted over the hundreds of interactions with previous ladybugs. Something to fool her into thinking Tikki cared. She always thought of herself as Tikki's partner, but did Tikki see their relationship that way? Maybe Tikki did have affection for her, but only  in the same way that a person might have affection for their pet goldfish.</p>
<p>"Penny for your thoughts?"</p>
<p>"Huh?" Marinette pulled her attention back to class, only to realize that people were packing their things away. She stared at Adrien's sea green eyes and the unmistakable concern that swirled within.</p>
<p>"Oh, yeah, fine. I was up late last night reading Tartuffe, that's all." In truth, she'd cheated and used the power of the second chance to get through the play in record time. Mostly she'd spent her evening staring at a map full of pins showing where all the akumatizations had happened, hoping to divine Hawk Moth's location. There'd definitely been something odd about the groupings, but no clear pattern had emerged.</p>
<p>"You must be very busy these days," said Adrien. "Between the job and school and-"</p>
<p>"I should go," she said quickly, throwing her stuff haphazardly into her bag and hoofing it out the door only to crash into somebody.</p>
<p>"Ah!" she cried, doing a little pirouette to dart around the person lurking next to the door.</p>
<p>"Marinette!" came the surprised cry of a familiar voice.</p>
<p>"Kagami?" Marinette hiked her very heavy bookbag up on her shoulders and stared at her friend.</p>
<p>"I did not know you were in this class," Kagami continued happily. "Adrien and I are going out for lunch. He has a free period. Would you like to come with us?"</p>
<p>"Uh-" Marinette took two quick steps away from the door as Adrien, one of the last in the class, emerged. "I really shouldn't-"</p>
<p>"Please," said Kagami, taking a step forward with open hands. "It has been many weeks since we saw each other last."</p>
<p>"I...," Marinette stared into Kagami's open, guileless expression. She didn't have the heart to lie to her, and besides, Adrien already knew she had a free period, since her schedule was, suspiciously, identical to his. "Okay," Marinette said. "Okay, let's have lunch together."</p>
<p>"Wonderful," said Kagami. "Now tell me all about Cat Noir. I want to meet him. As your friend, it is my duty to express to him the grave danger he faces should he fail to treat you in an appropriate manner."</p>
<p>Marinette glanced at Adrien, who had just sucked in a breath. Strange, she thought. Maybe he finds the idea of Kagami telling off a superhero funny. Or worrying.</p>
<p>"Cat's a perfect gentleman," replied Marinette. "He's a good friend, and he was there when I needed him."</p>
<p>"Does he take you out? And buy you flowers?"</p>
<p>"Uh, no," Marinette said. "He just... hangs out… in my bedroom." Her cheeks flared as she realized how that sounded, but couldn't think of any better way to explain it. Anxious to change the subject, she turned the conversation around. "And Adrien? Do I need to have words with him?"</p>
<p>Kagami giggled, her happiness turning radiant. "Adrien is wonderful."</p>
<p>They were halfway to the school exit when Marinette caught the faint sound of a scream. She had become, over the past two years, well versed in the skill of distinguishing between ordinary screams and those arising from akuma-related terror. She slowed and hesitated, only barely aware of Adrien doing the same.</p>
<p>Kagami paused only after having gotten a few steps ahead.</p>
<p>"Adrien," Marinette said firmly, unslinging her bag and swinging it in his direction. "I'm afraid I'm going to have to bail on lunch. Get Kagami out of here and get far away."</p>
<p>"Really?" he asked. "I think I should be telling you that. I'm the one with at least some fencing experience."</p>
<p>"Hey, I have fencing experience too," said Kagami. She cocked her head, and a second later, her face went pale. as the screams grew louder. "Akuma?"</p>
<p>"There's no time for arguing," she said. "If you want to leave your girlfriend behind to play the hero, it's your business."</p>
<p>She turned and ran in the direction of the akuma.</p>
<p>#</p>
<p>Kagami stared, wide-eyed as Marinette ran in the direction of the akuma. She had been in Paris long enough and knew enough about akumas to know that one did not run toward them. </p>
<p>Adrien took a step forward, hand raised as if to grab and hold Marinette back, but of course, she was already gone. He turned, worried, and grabbed her hand instead. "Let's get you out of here."</p>
<p>Kagami didn't have time to wonder at the phrasing before they were sprinting through the front doors, nearly flying down the steps and looping around to the side of the building where student parking was located. Her driver had already arrived and was idling. Kagami was half in the car when it finally occurred to her that Adrien wasn't coming with her.</p>
<p>"Adrien?" She turned to peer at him. He'd taken a step back and was holding the door, ready to close it when she finally got inside.</p>
<p>"I'm going back," he said grimly. "I'm not leaving Marinette behind."</p>
<p>For a moment, she froze, trying to process the fact. There was no logical reason for Adrien to go back. They should not be getting involved in superhero business. She knew this better than most. She had fought akumas before as a superhero. Normal people did not stand a chance. Akumas were faster, stronger, and had strange powers that often paralyzed or killed instantaneously. No ordinary human could deal with them. </p>
<p>A multitude of competing thoughts and ideas blossomed simultaneously in her mind, paralyzing her as she tried to prioritize them. "Kagami, get in the car."</p>
<p>"Adrien, wait-"</p>
<p>"There's no time. Don't argue, Kagami. I'll be safe."</p>
<p>Reluctantly, she finished crawling into the car, Marinette's very heavy bookbag thudding onto the seat next to her. The door slammed shut behind her without a second's delay. Adrien was already halfway across the parking lot by the time she'd buckled herself in. Her driver drove away. An empty feeling settled in the pit of her stomach.</p>
<p>#</p>
<p>"This is so cool," Alya whispered.</p>
<p>"Yeah, cool," echoed Nino as he eyed the murder of books fluttering and snapping in a storm around the akuma.</p>
<p>"Look at what's in her hands," Alya whispered. "It's a library card, and I think she's directing the books with it - like a conductor's baton."</p>
<p>"Is she a librarian or a musician?" Nino muttered.</p>
<p>"And do you see how some of the books have taken to sitting atop the lockers. They're acting like animals - like birds or something. Do you think that they're manifesting characteristics that the akuma unconsciously ascribes to the books, or is it just an artifact of the magic. Or maybe it has something to do with Hawk Moth."</p>
<p>The akuma drifted further and further away down the hall, being carried aloft by books that floated beneath her. The sound of screaming students was all but gone.</p>
<p>'I bet Ladybug and Cat Noir are evacuating the building," Alya continued. "That would be the heroic thing to do before facing the akuma. Even if Ladybug's miraculous cure heals everything, the memory of being attacked remains, so it is still better to reduce harm to civilians."</p>
<p>The familiar zip of a yoyo and a red blur shot past the classroom door Alya and Nino were peeking out of. The sound of combat flooded the hall, and Alya risked stepping fully into the hall.</p>
<p>"Alya, no!" said Nino.</p>
<p>"Relax, Ladybug's here, and this akuma's nothing special."</p>
<p>"Nothing special," he grumbled, following her as she kept pace with the fight.</p>
<p>"It's so rare to get a complete, unexpurgated video of a fight," Alya continued.</p>
<p>Ladybug was leaping from side to side, bouncing from locker to locker, her yoyo a whirling dervish. Books converged by the dozens - too many to keep track of, each possessing strength to dent metal, but always the yoyo was there, moving like controlled lightning, slamming books with enough force to send them crunching against the floor, the lockers, the ceiling. One shattered an overhead light, spraying glass and sparks everywhere.</p>
<p>"Stay still, damn you!" shouted the akuma.</p>
<p>From Ladybug there was no response. She just pressed forward, a slow but steady grind through the akuma's defenses until, in a blindingly fast move that Alya would have to watch frame by frame later, Ladybug glanced the yoyo off one book, then another then another until it struck Book Whisperer's hand with a crunch of breaking bones.</p>
<p>The akuma screamed in pain, the books all dropping around her, their strings cut. The akuma was sent tumbling to the ground as Ladybug snatched the library card out of midair.</p>
<p>"Incredible," Alya continued, now creeping forward more boldly. The akuma was whimpering and cradling her broken hand. "This may very well be the first documented instance where Ladybug has inflicted non-trivial bodily injury on an akuma as part of the fight."</p>
<p>Cat Noir had arrived at some point and was having a heated discussion with Ladybug.</p>
<p>"-should've waited-"</p>
<p>"- had it covered-"</p>
<p>Cat Noir pointed to the akuma's hand. "Does that look like you had it covered?"</p>
<p>"She won't remember it anyway."</p>
<p>Alya stilled at the cold, emotionless tone in the spotted superhero's voice.</p>
<p>Ladybug let the library card flutter to the ground. "You want to do the honors?"</p>
<p>"No."</p>
<p>She sighed and let the yoyo descend. It struck the card with a crack and a flash of violet light. The butterfly was sucked into the yoyo before it fully formed. There was no fanfare. No motion. One moment the yoyo was being retracted, the next, a white butterfly was fluttering away down the hall.</p>
<p>"Miraculous ladybug."</p>
<p>Innumerable ladybugs spread out across the hall. Wherever they touched, damage simply vanished as if it had never been. Of all the powers, Alya thought that the cure was the most extraordinary. She was sure she would never get tired of seeing it in action.</p>
<p>"What - what happened?" came the uncertain, tremulous voice of the librarian.</p>
<p>Ladybug then turned to Alya. "Are you recording live?"</p>
<p>"Uh, yes?"</p>
<p>Another sigh. "Please remove the timestamp on your videos before posting," Ladybug said. "I think Hawk Moth might be using that information to hunt us down."</p>
<p>Alya, who had been bursting with questions for the heroes, suddenly held back. "Oh, okay."</p>
<p>"Thank you." A flick of her wrist, and her yoyo was pulling her down the length of the hall toward the exit.</p>
<p>#</p>
<p>"Neither Cat Noir nor Ladybug were seen exiting the school. I waited for the remainder of the day right until we collected Adrien from the front steps."</p>
<p>Gabriel steepled his fingers over his desk in thought. An image of Ladybug zipping away from Cat Noir after fighting Book Whisperer was frozen on his screen. "They did not leave together. I surmise that either one of them or both attend that very lycée together."</p>
<p>"It is possible that they met up at some point within the school and then used the teleportation miraculous together."</p>
<p>"Possible," replied Gabriel. "But I am starting to suspect that we have been overthinking the problem all this time. It would appear at first glance that the guardian, acting logically, would have selected holders from across Paris at random. However, on further consideration, he would have wanted his holders to be close together to help keep an eye on each other. He would likely want them to be of a similar age and demographic with the intention that they would have common interests to help them bond with one another. He would also prefer teenagers. People who are more susceptible to his machinations. Old enough to have independence and some ability to plan and consider their actions, but not so old as to challenge the guardian's authority."</p>
<p>"So you think they attend Francoise Dupont."</p>
<p>"Based on their response times, yes. At least the response times before they began varying their approach." There'd also been the textbook incident from nearly two years ago. He should have been more aggressive about investigating the school connection back then, but he'd feared that the whole textbook thing was a ruse. And besides, he couldn't control akumas with the finesse necessary to systematically depopulate a high school.</p>
<p>It'd been galling to realize that the children had caught on to his ploy of backtracking their location. He wasn't even sure exactly when they'd discovered it. He only knew that at some point, their response times to akuma and sentimonster attacks had grown increasingly unreliable. And moreover, he and Nathalie had been stuck babysitting akumas and sentimonsters until the heroes decided to show up. The kids were growing up and becoming smarter, which meant he needed to hunt down their identities sooner rather than later. Otherwise this game could go on forever.</p>
<p>"We will execute a dual akuma attack on the school," said Hawk Moth finally. "The objective will be to observe as many students as possible with an emphasis on the students in the twelfth grade. If we keep all of them under surveillance, and if Ladybug and Cat Noir still show up, then we will know they are not in school. If we are not able to surveil everyone, then we will narrow our search of Ladybug and Cat Noir to those students who escaped our gaze." </p>
<p>"Excellent," said Nathalie. "I will make arrangements to obtain a student list. I will also go through and mark off the students who have been akumatized already, as they obviously cannot be either Ladybug or Cat Noir."</p>
<p>"Excellent," he said.</p>
<p>"How do you plan on determining the identities of the students who fall victim to the akuma?"</p>
<p>"We have two volunteers," Gabriel replied. "Chloé Bourgeois and Lila Rossi."</p>
<p>“Not Marinette?” Nathalie’s voice contained only mild curiosity, as though they were talking about the weather.</p>
<p>“No,” he replied slowly. “Her akumatization remains a work in progress. If this next gambit fails, then we will turn our attention more fully to my young little intern.”</p>
<p>#</p>
<p>Kagami paced back and forth in her room. She ran her fingers through her hair - a nervous habit her mother had tried to grind out of her. Her mother had tried to grind away many of the little things like that which made her a person. Tsurugis weren't supposed to be ordinary. They weren't supposed to have common gestures. They were supposed to be like the mountains and the oceans. Vast. Immovable. Less persons and more forces of nature.</p>
<p>Kagami pursed her lips. All those lessons seemed to burn away like a match to paper when she thought of Adrien. She glanced down to see that she'd switched to compulsively interlacing her fingers one way then another.</p>
<p>He'd left her to go after Marinette. On the one hand, it could be counted as chivalrous, but on the other hand.... There'd been no logic to it. He had no reason to think he could fight an akuma. Of course, neither did Marinette, save for her - the pursed lips turned to a thoughtful frown.</p>
<p>Kagami sat at her computer and searched for Marinette. There was an explosion of articles, YouTube commentaries, talk show discussions. Most of it was trash of one kind or another, but there were a few good ones. Kagami went to the Ladyblog and found the article she was looking for. One, two, three, four attacks. Marinette had been a known participant and contributor in four akuma attacks. She had ranged from helping students to escape, to distracting akumas, and, of course, fighting one of them head on. </p>
<p>From all her personal interactions with Marinette, it seemed obvious that Marinette was a shy, sweet girl more likely to run from her own shadow than face down a supervillain. Yes, the evidence was there. Marinette threw herself into danger time and time again... for others. Was that the answer? Marinette wouldn't lift a finger for herself, but she would move heaven and earth for the people around her. Kagami's mind drifted back to the day of heart Hunter's attack. Marinette had left her and Adrien alone together. The message had been as clear as it was painful. She was backing out, letting Kagami have a clear shot at Adrien.</p>
<p>And things with Adrien had been wonderful. He was sweet and kind and handsome. He was attentive in the sort of way that her mother approved of, and of course he had all the attributes that her mother valued - wealth, poise, looks, discipline. From her mother's perspective, and from Kagami’s too, at least to some extent, she was a good match for him. And she knew that Adrien's father approved of Kagami also. It should've been a match made in heaven.</p>
<p>But watching Adrien turn and head back into danger for Marinette made something inside prickle uncomfortably. Kagami had always wondered in the back of her mind if Adrien really truly liked her. he could see the same advantages in her she saw in him. The looks, the money, the power, the compatibility score. Because, despite all those things, Kagami did really like him. She liked him right down to her core. But sometimes, when she watched him, when he smiled or spoke or held her hand - sometimes, even, when they kissed - she couldn't help but feel like he was holding back. Like there was a little part of himself that he was keeping in reserve.</p>
<p>It could've been natural, of course. Some people were simply reserved in that way. Some people could never truly give themselves fully to another. Some people would not or could not feel the empathy and the emotion necessary to do that. Or even if they could, they had been trained to never show it. She had reassured herself that Adrien was like that.</p>
<p>But then Kagami saw the way Adrien had taken an instinctive step forward. The way his hand had gone up to reach for Marinette who was sprinting away. The shock and alarm in his eyes. His expression when he went back. It was the look of a man who would run into a burning building to save the person they loved. It was the look of a man who would give everything.</p>
<p>Kagami glanced at the computer screen where the names of the akumas were arrayed that Marinette had tangled with already. Marinette, sweet and ferocious. A paradox. But maybe that was why Adrien cared so much for her. And if Kagami wanted to compete... to win... then she needed to show Adrien that she could be the same. Better, even.</p>
<p>"Love is a choice," she murmured. "And I choose you, Adrien. No matter what."</p>
<p>#</p>
<p>"I'm a cad. A two-timing creep. A sleazebag. Plagg, help me. How do I fix this?"</p>
<p>Plagg looked up from where he was nestled on Adrien's pillow and shrugged. "There's nothing wrong with sampling more than one kind of cheese, if you get my meaning."</p>
<p>Adrien stared out the window at the cold November rain that was momentarily lit by a distant flash of lightning. His bedroom, in contrast, was filled with The warm glow of incandescent light.</p>
<p>Something about having had Marinette and Kagami in the same place that morning had cast into sharp relief just how messed up his situation had become. He was dating two girls. At the same time. How had it come to this? How had he let himself develop feelings for two wonderful, extraordinary girls?</p>
<p>“Sometimes,” Plagg went on contemplatively, “I like to have my two favorite cheeses in the same meal. They can really enhance each other’s flavors.”</p>
<p>This wasn’t a situation that could go on. He knew that. He was hurting one of them… both of them, really. Even if Marinette knew he was in a relationship as his civilian self, she didn’t know it was Adrien or Kagami. She didn’t know he was also the boy that made her uncomfortable, or the girl that he was cheating on was her friend. And Kagami… he couldn’t even tell her he had another girlfriend. Not without revealing his identity as Cat Noir. So coming clean wasn’t even an option. Not without more lies, which would only cause more hurt.</p>
<p>Fuck.</p>
<p>Plagg waved a paw in the air as he continued to dispense advice. “And really, it doesn’t matter where you get your appetite, so long as you eat at home.”</p>
<p>Adrien had to let one of them go. There was no if ands or buts about it. But every time he thought about it, he felt paralyzed with indecision. Kagami liked Adrien, but Marinette liked Cat Noir. So it seemed, at least to him, that the real question was, which of his two personas was the real him?</p>
<p>It was almost nine o’clock. He’d debated skipping seeing Marinette since it was still pouring out, but he couldn’t bring himself to do it. Not after she ran toward the akuma today. God, he hadn’t even seen her when he’d returned as Cat Noir. She must’ve been one of the ones injured or killed by Book Whisperer. He definitely needed to see her, if for nothing else, then to reassure himself she was safe.</p>
<p>“-and besides, if my sweet, precious camembert doesn’t find out about it, is it really cheating-”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Plagg, claws out!”</p>
<p>"Wha-?" The kwami swirled toward him, an expression of profound annoyance visible on his features before he was sucked into the ring.</p>
<p>#</p>
<p>"Hurry." Marinette ushered  Cat Noir into her bedroom, where he promptly puddled in a giant soppy mess onto her bed.</p>
<p>"You put towels down," Cat said, rubbing himself dry.</p>
<p>I didn't know if you were coming," she said, but there was no mistaking the happiness in her tone now that he was here.</p>
<p>Her gaze was drawn to a bundle of something clutched in his paws. She extracted it and stared in consternation at the drooping mess of abused flowers. "Uh, are these for me?"</p>
<p>"Yes?" he asked, seeing how the flowers had fared in the rain on the trek over.</p>
<p>"Uh, thanks, Cat. You... shouldn't have." She held them at arms length and made her way to the bathroom.</p>
<p>She hung them from the shower head. Maybe they'd straighten out and she could dry them.</p>
<p>"Sorry," he whisper-shouted.</p>
<p>"You get an A for effort," she said, scrambling back up to her bed and rubbing his hair and face and torso down with a big fluffy pink towel. "You don't have to come on these sorts of nights. I assume you didn't actually go out on patrol."</p>
<p>"I didn't," he said. "But I just wanted to see you. And I wasn't sure if you would be waiting for me. I didn't want to disappoint you."</p>
<p>"I would've understood," she said. "But I'm happy you're here."</p>
<p>He relaxed and proceeded to crawl into her lap. She ran her fingers over the damp leather of his suit, trailing over his arms and back. One hand began to work his hair and neck.</p>
<p>He mumbled something into her legs that she didn't quite catch.</p>
<p>"What's that?"</p>
<p>"I'm a terrible boyfriend," he said, clearing his throat</p>
<p>"Yeah, kind of. But it's okay. In a way, this is all I think I can really handle at the moment."</p>
<p>His attention was drawn to the map on the wall. He stared at it in puzzlement for several seconds. "What's that?"</p>
<p>"That?" Marinette said with a nervous little laugh. "Nothing. It's... for a school project."</p>
<p>"You're lying," came his instant response. Quite apart from the fact that he was in all her classes and so knew there was no school project to speak of whatsoever, he could also hear it in her voice. "You don't think I know when you're lying to me?"</p>
<p>He leapt down from the bed in a single, graceful motion, landing lightly on his feet. He walked up to the map and stared at it. It was one of the strangest things he'd ever seen. There had to be more than a hundred pins pressed into the map. The map itself was laminated so that words and numbers could be scribbled across the surface and wiped away with ease.</p>
<p>"Cat, it's nothing. Leave it alone."</p>
<p>Each pin had a code next to it. At first they didn't make sense, but there was something eerily familiar about the whole thing. He barely registered her tugging on his arm, gently but insistently pulling him from the map.</p>
<p>It was the dot over the Agreste mansion that finally clued him in. The letters COLL were inscribed in Marinette's tiny, precise handwriting.</p>
<p>"Marinette," he began slowly. "Why do you have a map of all the akumatizations?" Now that he was looking, it was true. Every single akumatization along with akuma name and date were there.</p>
<p>He turned and saw she had left to go flop on the chaise. "I'm looking for patterns," she said finally. "I want to see if I can find Hawk Moth."</p>
<p>His gaze flicked between Marinette and the map several times as his brain tried to process what she'd said. "That's - have you-"</p>
<p>"I haven't found him, if that's what you're asking." She gestured at the map. "See for yourself. I can't make heads or tails from it, but I'm sure something's there. I feel it in my bones."</p>
<p>He padded back to the chaise, a little uncomfortable by having the akuma map behind him. As though akumas were going to jump out of it and start attacking him.</p>
<p>He sat down next to her and put an arm around her, holding her close. "Why are you looking for Hawk Moth?" he asked finally.</p>
<p>She snorted. "That's a ridiculous question, chaton. Someone has to."</p>
<p>He tightened his arm reflexively. "But why you?"</p>
<p>She looked up at him, her eyes twin pools of liquid blue fire. "Who else?"</p>
<p>He'd half-expected that answer. Since he'd first started coming around over the summer, she'd looked weary. He hadn't understood then, assuming that it had been the expulsion that had been keeping her down. But as the weeks went by and he'd gotten to know her, that had felt more and more like an excuse. Like the tip of an iceberg - the part that could be seen, but ultimately, inevitably, proved to be a miniscule fraction of its true size.</p>
<p>As he lost himself in her eyes - as his mind whirred over the problem, slotting stolen fragments of conversation - meaning without context from a dozen little conversations - a dozen little sighs and gestures and expressions that had collected over the weeks of visits, a strange, almost otherworldly picture painted itself in his mind's eye. A dark beauty so eldritch he couldn't quite follow the brushstrokes that led from its beginning to its conclusion, and which felt all the more real for its mystery.</p>
<p>"You're looking for Hawk Moth," he murmured, his mind seemed to pull back from her, yet it also felt like a part of him remained there with her, forever locked in the darkness of her soul. "But what were you planning to do when you found him?"</p>
<p>"I was going to tell you," she breathed, her voice tentative.</p>
<p>But he knew, once more, that she was lying. Only this time, it wasn't in the hitch of her voice or the pallor of her cheeks, or the slight shift in her eyes. It was in the knowledge that if she had had any intention of telling him, then she would have done so long ago. She would have included him in the plan from the beginning. There was only one reason not to tell him. Only one reason to keep him in the dark. </p>
<p>A surge of terror unlike anything he'd ever experienced before gripped him. It dwarfed the terror he felt when seeing her in front of Enchantress. It dug deeper into his skin than her mad flight through the school this morning. It was so all-encompassing that, for a moment, his heart stopped beating. His lungs stopped drawing breath. His brain stopped firing neurons.</p>
<p>"The picture... you intentionally made yourself a target. You’re going after Hawk Moth."</p>
<p>She did not speak; did not utter a sound. But the answer was plain to see. It was written into the sharp lines of her jaw, the tension in her arms, the fire that compressed down to chips of blue ice in her eyes. </p>
<p>Eventually, she answered, "I'm going to kill the son of a bitch."</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0006"><h2>6. Chapter 6</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>"A scheduling issue has arisen that requires you to attend for a fitting this morning." Nathalie transmitted the details to Adrien's phone, which promptly buzzed with the updated calendar information. "I've gone ahead and contacted the school to let them know you will not be attending your morning classes."</p>
<p>"Okay." Adrien barely registered Nathalie's words as he continued to sip on his freshly squeezed apple ginger juice.</p>
<p>He still had trouble believing the conversation he'd had with Marinette last night. She was intending to find Hawk Moth... to kill him. He had no doubt she meant it. The puzzle pieces made too much sense. The look in her eyes - that had been both searing and freezing all at the same time. As much as it disturbed him, it was at least better than the cold, almost dead look in Ladybug's eyes when she'd casually dismissed his concerns over having broken the akuma's hand. The akuma wouldn't remember, sure, but the episode had been streamed on the Ladyblog. The heroes were the good guys. Ladybug was loved and respected because she held herself to the highest ethical standard. But public opinion was like a tide, and it could very easily ebb away from them. All it would take was one event. A single misstep. And if Ladybug was cracking under the pressure….</p>
<p>He didn’t want to believe it. Not Ladybug. She’d been a stalwart defender of the innocent since day one. It was because of her that akuma victims weren’t held accountable for their actions. She’d even gone so far as to ensure that they experienced as little negative backlash as possible in their daily lives.</p>
<p>She’d always been bright and cheerful, taking to her duties with equal parts resolve and equanimity. But then again, things had been different since Miracle Queen. She’d broken down then, weeping openly for the first time in his presence. And with the loss of Master Fu, her mentor, and the burden of the miracle box, and the loss of all their allies – no one could deny that it was a tremendous blow.</p>
<p>Adrien slid into his jacket and let himself be escorted down to the waiting car. Thankfully, playing the role of a dutiful son and professional model was so ingrained he could do it unconsciously, letting his mind wander. He didn't notice the comfortable leather seats. He barely glanced at the portfolio next to him, which contained itinerary and production information for the rest of the week. He nodded and smiled as one of the interns escorted him to the fitting rooms at the studio. The hive of activity buzzed around him, perceived but ignored. It was only after an hour that a comment finally caught his attention.</p>
<p>"Francoise Dupont?" asked the art designer. "Understood. We'll keep him here until the danger has passed."</p>
<p>Adrien's gaze sharpened on the speaker. "What's going on?"</p>
<p>She turned and glanced at him as she put her phone away. "Akuma attack at your school. Your father has instructed us to keep you safe here. Once the all clear is given, you may return home."</p>
<p>"Twice in a row," he muttered. Not unheard of, but still a little unusual. </p>
<p>He needed to get over there, but a quick look around told him it was going to be impossible. Not without arousing suspicion. He pulled out his phone and checked his other account - the one meant for Ladybug to communicate with Cat Noir. There was no message. He typed one out quickly: Missing you, sugar cube. Can't wait to meet up for lunch.</p>
<p>He could admit he wasn't the best at speaking in code, but he was sure she'd understand. If anyone like his father ever saw the messages, hopefully they wouldn't look past the obvious romantic text to the deeper meaning beneath.</p>
<p>He flicked over to the Ladyblog and nearly dropped the phone in shock. The shaky camera showed Marinette stabbing a soccer ball-sized eyeball through the sclera, causing purple gore to spray outward.</p>
<p>"What the fuck?"</p>
<p>"Language," scolded one of the assistants. "Now put the phone away and stand still."</p>
<p>Reluctantly, he did as instructed. The sooner he was done, the sooner he could get over there and find out what the hell was going on.</p>
<p>#</p>
<p>Marinette was dozing in history class when the panicked shout of, "Akuma!" brought her to full wakefulness. Tough, ropy looking veins were creeping around the doors. Like ivy, they skittered along the walls, but did not reach out into the classroom itself. From nodes along the way, bulbous growths ballooned outward to form giant, unblinking eyeballs.</p>
<p>Alya already had her new camera in hand.</p>
<p>"Everybody stay calm," cried the terrified instructor.</p>
<p>"Not cool, bro," someone said. "That's like two in a row."</p>
<p>"yeah, what's Hawk Moth's plan? Does he like not want us to get an education or something?"</p>
<p>Marinette carefully slid her bag open, pulling out the only thing that remotely resembled weapons - a pair of steel knitting needles.</p>
<p>"Dude, what are you doing?" Nino whispered at her as he saw her grip one needle in each hand.</p>
<p>"Everyone just remain in your seats," the instructor continued. "It appears the akuma is not moving to attack. I'm sure if we all just remain calm and in our seats, Ladybug and Cat Noir will have this sorted out in a few minutes."</p>
<p>"It's looking at me," whimpered Rose from across the room. "Make it stop." Juleka put a comforting arm around her shoulder and mumbled something Marinette couldn't catch.</p>
<p>Well, Ladybug sure as hell wasn't coming. She waited to see if the plant monster sprayed acid or some sort of toxin into the air. If it did, the toxin was colorless and odorless. Not much she could do about that.</p>
<p>Still, she had a strange feeling about the situation. There were no sounds of screams in the distance, and the plant monster wasn't actually doing anything other than watching them.</p>
<p>The intercom system crackled to life. "This is Plant Queen. Don’t move, losers. Once Ladybug and Cat Noir give me their miraculouses, I’ll let you peasants go.”</p>
<p>“Three guesses who that is,” Alya muttered.</p>
<p>"We're hostages?" someone squeaked anxiously.</p>
<p>That was new. Marinette didn't like it. The more she studied the plant, the more eerie the eyes became, until it finally dawned on her. The eyes were arranged in such a way so as to have a perfectly overlapping field of view. No corner of the room was hidden from their gaze.</p>
<p>If Plant Queen could see everything in the school... fuck. Double fuck. Double fuck with a cherry on top.</p>
<p>Marinette got to her feet and approached the door cautiously.</p>
<p>"Girl, what are you doing?" whispered Alya furiously. This did not stop her from recording though.</p>
<p>"Mademoiselle-" Monsieur Cabot checked his records, "-Dupain-Cheng, please get back to your seat immediately."</p>
<p>"I'm leaving," she called back over her shoulder, taking care to keep one eye on the nearest eyeball. "Alya, you live streaming?"</p>
<p>"You betcha."</p>
<p>"Good, let's get some data points for Ladybug and Cat Noir, shall we?"</p>
<p>Someone choked from sheer astonishment. "Seriously?"</p>
<p>"Fuck you, Hawk Moth." She stabbed a knitting needle through the sclera of the nearest eyeball. Hot purple fluid spurted out, but she was quick to dodge. Which was good, because the goo quickly sizzled as it ate through the floor.</p>
<p>She reached up behind the eyeball and pointed the wound downward. She squeezed, causing the acidic substance to pour like a tap onto the floor. It continued to gush for several seconds. The surrounding plant life withered, and, finally, the eyeball itself deflated and withered away.</p>
<p>"You're one crazy motherfucker, Dupain-Cheng."</p>
<p>Marinette grinned at Kim, who stared wide-eyed. She yanked the door open, the now desiccated plant life tearing easily. She turned back one final time and looked over the class. "Paris for Parisians."</p>
<p>"Wait for  me!" Alya called, leaping out into the aisle.</p>
<p>"Alya!" Nino cried, chasing after her. "You can't be serious!"</p>
<p>"Hell, yeah!"</p>
<p>The hallway was covered in more plant growths. One eye seemed to turn in her direction. </p>
<p>"I think Plant Queen’s giving you the stink-eye." Alya let out a little nervous chuckle.</p>
<p>"Oh?" Marinette asked. "And here I thought we were up to our eyeballs in trouble."</p>
<p>"You guys are insane," Nino whispered.</p>
<p>"Girl, where are you going?" Alya asked. "The nearest exit's that way."</p>
<p>"I'm not leaving." Marinette hurried down the hall.</p>
<p>"You're not - yeah who am I kidding - you're totally going to take down this akuma, aren't you?" It was barely even a question.</p>
<p>"Someone has to."</p>
<p>"Yeah, but Ladybug-"</p>
<p>"Screw Ladybug," Marinette said, whirling around and putting her hands on her hips. "What's that puffed up little princess done for Paris? I mean really done? She comes out, fights an akuma, smiles for the camera, and then runs away. Fuck her. Fuck Hawk Moth. Fuck all these super-whatevers who are coming here and stomping all over us. I've had it with the lot of them. Let's show them what good old fashioned Parisians are made of."</p>
<p>Marinette rushed down the hall. In truth, she was terrified. Even if she left the school and came back, Hawk Moth would know she was Ladybug. She was sure of it. Plant Queen wasn't doing anything but watching. Plant Queen didn't need to do anything. It wasn't here to fight. It was here to learn.</p>
<p>"Now... where... going," Alya panted.</p>
<p>"Weight room," Marinette said. She stabbed her second knitting needle through another eye and ducked the jet of acid. A minute later, she was inside.</p>
<p>Students in gym shorts stared at her dumbfounded as she made straight for the bench press.</p>
<p>"Uh-" said the guy sitting on the bench.</p>
<p>"Get those weights off," she ordered. already working on one side.</p>
<p>He glanced between her and the barbell for a second before he seemed to understand. He stripped off  the weights on the other side.</p>
<p>Marinette lifted the bar off the hooks. She tested its weight. "It'll do."</p>
<p>"dude, you're the akuma hunter," someone said. "From that video with Enchantress. No fucking way."</p>
<p>"yeah," she said grimly, "and it's akuma hunting time."</p>
<p>She was halfway to the exit when she sensed someone coming up behind her. She turned, eyeing one of the other students, name unknown. He was holding a thirty pound dumbbell in his hands. "I'm coming?" he said uncertainly.</p>
<p>She eyed him up and down. He was not the most athletic-looking in the bunch, but that didn’t matter so much when magic was involved. Besides, this was what she wanted, wasn’t it?</p>
<p>"It's dangerous," she warned. "Those plants spit acid when damaged."</p>
<p>He trembled and cast his gaze about as if wanting to back out.</p>
<p>"There's no shame in hiding," Marinette added, voice pitched a little more quietly.</p>
<p>He shook himself. "My uncle was killed by an akuma," he said, his resolve firming up. "Ladybug saved him, but he still remembers. He remembers dying." The boy - no, young man - became grim. "It still haunts him. If I can help stop that from happening to someone else…."</p>
<p>Marinette nodded in understanding. She looked around, eyeing the others. "All right, let's go."</p>
<p>She was ten steps down the hallway when she turned once more. Her followers had grown to a dozen people. She raised an eyebrow when she spotted Nino holding a fifteen pound dumbbell.</p>
<p>He blushed. "It's all I think I can swing."</p>
<p>"Are you guys sure you're ready for this?"</p>
<p>"You'll show us how it's done," said one of them.</p>
<p>"All right. Be smart and be safe." She turned and began a slow jog so as not to lose anyone. "This is akuma 101. Akumas have magical powers. This means that their powers are often ridiculous and don't conform to laws of physics. So, first rule, you need to be prepared for anything."</p>
<p>She slowed as they turned a corner. The doors to the main office were just down the hall fifty paces away. She turned and faced them.</p>
<p>"Second, their outfits buffer damage. You need to hit hard if you're going to have any hope of knocking them down. They may also be stronger and faster than normal, but this is not always the case. Third, their powers follow a theme. Learn the theme, and it'll help you respond. Most akumas will be able to strike at a distance. But those that have a true ranged attack, usually more than fifty feet, will also be weaker in close quarters."</p>
<p>"Glass cannons," someone muttered.</p>
<p>Marinette nodded. "Yeah. Fourth, akumas are emotional. This means they often have tunnel vision. If you can push their buttons, you can goad them into making tactical errors. Their aggressive nature will often compel them to attack even when retreating would be smarter." She took a deep breath. "Last and most important of all, akumas are empowered by a dark butterfly, which is embedded in an object of value to them. The object can be anything and is something that they were holding or wearing at the time they were akumatized. Usually but not always, the object will not fit very well with their overall magical outfit. Separate the akuma from this item, and they will be significantly weakened. Break the item, and you will break the akuma’s power. If at all possible, this last step must be left to the supers." She gave them each a stern look. "No ridiculous heroics. Even if we don't defeat the akuma, the act of fighting it will give us valuable information on the akuma's strengths and weaknesses. This is information the heroes need, and that means we need to be able to give them this information if and when they show up."</p>
<p>She looked each of them in the eye before finally saying, "If we lose, we always have Ladybug. But if Ladybug loses, then we all lose. End of story. We have to do everything we can to ensure that Ladybug has the best chance at victory. We owe it to her, to ourselves, to the ones we love, to do our best to help. This isn't just a superhero problem. It's our problem. It's our fight."</p>
<p>"Where are they?" asked one of the students. "They should've been here by now."</p>
<p>Marinette's gaze softened. "I have an idea where they are, but you're not going to like it."</p>
<p>The students waited.</p>
<p>"I think they're students at this school, and I think they're trapped in class." She gestured at the eyeballs. "That's what this is all about. Hawk Moth is trying to pin them down. He's not interested in winning today. He's interested in learning their identities so he can win tomorrow. That's why it's up to us. Today, we have to save Ladybug and Cat Noir."</p>
<p>"Marinette," Alya breathed in frank wonder. "This is so fucking awesome. I can't believe it. I'm going to have like a million hits today."</p>
<p>Marinette rolled her eyes. "Sure thing, Als. That's the really important part of what's happening at the moment."</p>
<p>"Let's do this," the first guy said nervously. "Before I piss my pants."</p>
<p>The others laughed hesitantly through their anxiety.</p>
<p>Marinette smiled. "Don't worry. I'm pretty sure I did that too when I faced my first akuma." She gave them one final, assessing glance before turning and charging forward. "For Paris!"</p>
<p>"FOR PARIS!" came the roar of her classmates as they charged alongside her.</p>
<p>#</p>
<p>"Ridiculous. Utterly ridiculous." Chloé paced back and forth in the principal's office. The Owl was huddled in a corner, face stricken with terror. "And what's this nonsense about making me into a plant girl. Hello, Hawk Moth! I'm a bee, remember? Hello, Hawk Moth! Are you there? Earth to Hawk Moth. Ugh. Ridiculous."</p>
<p>"Plants are cool too," Sabrina said. She'd been tied up to a chair with plant vines for plausible deniability. Chloé hadn't quite been able to leave her out of it; especially since she'd already been told it might be awhile before Lady-Loser and Cat-Lameface came along.</p>
<p>"Wait, do you hear that?" Chloé peered past the blinds to see what was happening in the halls. Some of the glass was frosted, making it hard to see. There was a bunch of students out there. So lame. What did they think they could do to a supervillain? Ridiculous, she decided.</p>
<p>Suddenly, glass shattered, and something heavy bonked her on the forehead so hard she fell backward. </p>
<p>"Ow! What the hell, you losers?" She dragged herself backward, but could already sense that several people were crowding around her.</p>
<p>"Chloé, look out!"</p>
<p>"You stupid plants! Get them!" She leaned over and grabbed the nearest foot. Vines spread around him, twisting his legs together. he screamed in terror, but before she could finish mummifying him, someone smashed her on the head. Her head bounced off the floor, and she saw stars.</p>
<p>"The bracelet!" someone else cried. Hands pawed over her arms.</p>
<p>"Get off of me, you cretins!" she screamed. "Plants sprouted from all over her, but before they could latch on, her powers vanished into smoke.</p>
<p>"No, my bracelet!" she screamed, realizing after a second that she had to pretend that she was a victim. "I mean, where am I?" She looked around, trying to school her face from outrage to confusion. </p>
<p>Sabrina, still tied to the chair,  leaned in and whispered loudly, “Psst! Chloé! You’re not free of the possession until they actually break the akumatized object.”</p>
<p>“I knew that, dummy!”</p>
<p>But no one was paying attention to her anyway. They were shouting and jumping and… waving dumbbells?</p>
<p>Utterly ridiculous, she thought.</p>
<p>And then, ignoring Sabrina’s words altogether, Chloé went on, "Excuse me! I'm a victim here! Isn't someone going to help me up? And where’s Ladybug, anyway? How come she hasn’t cast the cure? My head hurts." Indeed, a dark purple bruise was forming on her temple where she’d been bashed by a dumbbell.</p>
<p>The students were leaving, and they'd hoisted someone up so the person was sitting on their shoulders, her hands raised into the air in victory.</p>
<p>Then the chanting began. "Ma-ri-nett! Ma-ri-nette! Ma-ri-nette!"</p>
<p>"No," Chloé whispered, realizing that neither Ladybug nor Cat Noir had shown up at all. "No way. I was defeated by... losers."</p>
<p>#</p>
<p>"Could Marinette be Ladybug?" Nathalie asked tentatively.</p>
<p>"I... don't know." Gabriel stared at the computer screen where the victory party was still going strong at the school despite it being eight o'clock in the evening. Dupain-Cheng had been Multimouse, and had been in the presence of Ladybug. He had looked over that footage carefully, but had concluded that there was no tampering with it. Still, there were esoteric powers that could have done the job of fooling people into believing that Dupain-Cheng and Ladybug were two separate people.</p>
<p>On screen, Dupain-Cheng was being hoisted into the air and onto the shoulders of some jock type neanderthal with biceps the size of watermelons. Through the speakers, the raucous prattle of the party goers resolved into a chant. "Speech! Speech! Speech!"</p>
<p>Dupain-Cheng made a gesture for everyone to be quiet, and even Gabriel found himself leaning forward slightly to listen.</p>
<p>"I have only one thing to say!" she hollered out to the crowd. She then turned to the video camera and continued shouting, "You want a piece of me, Hawk Moth?" She raised the bracelet into the air with one hand and put one fist against her chest with the other. "Well, I'm right here, motherfucker! Come and take a piece of me!"</p>
<p>The high quality speakers did an excellent job transmitting the immense roar of approval that followed the violent little troglodyte’s barbaric comment. A moment later, Ladybug was swooping down and taking the bracelet in hand before yoyoing out of sight. More cheers thundered through the speakers, and then still more as  Cat Noir appeared, Dupain-Cheng leaping off the shoulders of the musclehead and into her boyfriend's arms.</p>
<p>Gabriel lowered the volume on the speakers in order to let him think more clearly. Ladybug had been there. She’d taken the akumatized object right from Dupain-Cheng’s hands… or had she? It was a live stream, so it wasn’t as though the recording could have been tampered with. He frowned in thought. He already knew that people could be deceived quite thoroughly by careful use of a miraculous power. He’d gone to great length to cast suspicion away from himself. And both his miraculouses had been used to create imposters well enough to fool the heroes. Ladybug had all those miraculouses, including the miraculous of illusion, so it wasn’t as though she didn’t have options.</p>
<p>“Has the cure been cast yet?” He asked.</p>
<p>“No,” Nathalie replied, checking her tablet.</p>
<p>“Tell me when it has been.”</p>
<p>“It is strange behavior nonetheless,” Nathalie commented. “Why did Ladybug wait so long to retrieve the bracelet? It’s been nearly ten hours since the attack.”</p>
<p>Gabriel pursed his lips. Surely if Dupain-Cheng were Ladybug, then she would have had plenty of opportunity  since her victory to find a private spot to cast the cure.</p>
<p>Dupain-Cheng being Ladybug felt like it was too good to be true. He didn’t trust it. Yet he’d backed Ladybug into a corner today by preventing her from being able to transform in private, and low and behold – who showed up to save the day in her place? Dupain-Cheng. And wasn’t that the same situation as with Enchantress? Dupain-Cheng took center stage because Ladybug couldn’t. Because Ladybug was Dupain-Cheng.</p>
<p>“In her last report, the Bourgeois girl confirmed that no one other than Dupain-Cheng and her little posse attempted to fight back at all. If Ladybug had been there in her civilian form, in, say, another classroom, then surely she would have at least tried to find a spot to transform.”</p>
<p>“Assuming she was there at all,” Nathalie pointed out.</p>
<p>“But if she weren’t there, then why’d she take so long to show up?” This was so Goddamned frustrating. Every clue they got just had them going around in circles. “If I assume that Ladybug can create an illusion or otherwise duplicate herself in some way so as to appear twice, then she could very well be the same person as Dupain-Cheng.”</p>
<p>“If I may play devil’s advocate,” Nathalie said, “then that would mean anyone we’ve crossed off the list in the past could be Ladybug. And if they really are the same person, then why did she advertise her relationship with Cat Noir? That was a terrible move. It gained her nothing save for putting her on our radar.”</p>
<p>That was true. In fact, it almost got her removed from Paris altogether, and by all accounts it appeared that she had no intention of even trying to remain. Only his own timely intervention saved her. Not something she could have predicted. Unless she had a power in that magical jewelry box of hers that enabled her to see the future. But if that were the case, he may as well pack it in and go home, because there’d be no beating a power like that.</p>
<p>“Perhaps Dupain-Cheng is a decoy,” Gabriel went on. He didn’t want to entangle himself in a conspiracy theory, but Dupain-Cheng and Ladybug being the same person felt like it was wishful thinking. He was dealing with children, so it wasn’t as though they could be expected to have superlative tactical and strategic planning abilities. But then again, they did have the advice of their kwamis. Even though Nooroo was a useless advisor, that didn’t mean that either the Ladybug or the black cat kwamis were the same. And there was always the possibility that the grand fool, Fu, had been the one to arrange for a contingency in the form of a decoy. After all, he’d already proven that he wasn’t above enlisting children for his crusade. Why not enlist a third as a backup in the form of Dupain-Cheng?</p>
<p>“For all we know, Dupain-Cheng is a miraculous holder,” Nathalie said, “just not the holder of the Ladybug miraculous.”</p>
<p>Gabriel nodded. He liked the sound of that. It explained why she was so closely connected to the heroes, including her relationship to Cat Noir as her civilian self. She was a hidden hero. A failsafe in case things went South with the main two. A secret hero… operating in the shadows… unknown to their enemies.</p>
<p>For all he knew, the History textbook that had been reported as belonging to Ladybug by the Ladyblogger had been Dupain-Cheng’s all along. The entire thing could have been a red herring – a ruse to divert suspicion. He had found it a little odd that the one clue to Ladybug’s identity had ended up in the hands of the Ladyblogger – the one person in the city who was too aggressive, too stubborn, too reckless to even hesitate about posting it on the internet.</p>
<p>“Perhaps now is the time to bring the girl in. I am certain I can do it with the aid of a carefully constructed sentimonster. Especially if an akuma is wreaking havoc elsewhere. By the way,, the cure has just been cast.”</p>
<p>“No, I didn’t like the idea before, and I like it even less now that it means possibly facing a miraculous holder with unknown powers.” He tapped his finger on his desk. Dupain-Cheng had vanished from the screen a minute ago, but that didn’t disprove either hypothesis.</p>
<p>There was one sure fire way to answer this question once and for all. Akumatize, akumatize, akumatize. He’d been putting it off long enough. The girl needed to be emotionally destroyed once and for all. And when she was in his grasp, he would dig every last secret out of her head before loosing her on his enemies.</p>
<p>the live stream had been replaced by a meme. Someone had taken the phrase Fuck Hawk Moth, and had edited it to say, Fuckmoth. they then played it in a loop with some truly terrible techno music while showing clip after clip where akumas were defeated in the most humiliating fashion. The whole thing was calibrated to make Hawk Moth look like an incompetent buffoon.</p>
<p>Irritated, he pulled out one of his burner phones and began to text. “It’s time we finish this once and for all. And this time, there will be no escaping my akuma. Not for Dupain-Cheng. And certainly not for Ladybug.”</p>
<p>#</p>
<p>Going from school to her job was a little jarring for Marinette. Her celebrity status meant that she could barely go five minutes without someone coming up to congratulate her in her regular life. At work though, other than a few speculative glances, there was no mention of her accomplishment as the akuma hunter.</p>
<p>"Ouch."</p>
<p>"Oh, sorry." So focused on her work, Marinette did not even notice the model who occupied the clothes she was fixing. And trying not to prick said body with pins. "Monsieur Champlain wants this done toute suite." </p>
<p>"It's my fault. I was a little late getting here today."</p>
<p>Marinette looked up into gorgeous, familiar green eyes. "A - Adrien?"</p>
<p>He smiled as non-threateningly as possible; the way he might smile to a skittish rabbit. "That's my name."</p>
<p>She peeled her gaze away and focused on his abs. No, don't look at his abs. Look at his chest. No, not that either. Her gaze drifted to his armpit. There, that was a nice, safe place for her eyes to rest.</p>
<p>"How've you been?" he asked.</p>
<p>That's a really nice armpit, her mind supplied after careful consideration.</p>
<p>"Marinette?"</p>
<p>"Cheng!" shouted  Champlain. "Stop ogling the pretty boy and finish dressing him!"</p>
<p>Monsieur Champlain's words registered, and her bones nearly vibrated out of her body from embarrassment. She rushed to finish smoothing out the creases, pulling out pins, checking the outfit over for any spots, threads, or anything else that might give the impression that it was less than one hundred percent perfect.</p>
<p>"See you," she mumbled and fled.</p>
<p>She retreated to the base of a nearby tree, the canopy of red and gold leaves producing a shade that hopefully hit her blush. How was it possible that even now, after everything she'd been through and everything that she was - how could it be that Adrien Agreste could still reduce her to a quivering pile of protoplasm? It wasn't fair. It was so unfair that she wanted to stamp her feet until the ground gave way and swallowed her whole.</p>
<p>She watched as the lights were adjusted this way and that - outdoor shots were always trickier. But the camera crew were up to the job. Marinette sucked in a breath when Lila stepped up next to Adrien. She clenched her fist reflexively. In one particular shot, they held each other, gazing soulfully into each other's eyes.</p>
<p>Every click of the camera, every change in position of Adrien and Lila diminished Marinette in some way. She felt smaller. Stupider. Weaker. Less sure of herself.</p>
<p>The shoot paused, and she was ushered back to dress Adrien anew. A wind picked up, scattering stray leaves around her and filling her ears with white noise. So much she almost didn't catch Adrien's words. "We never had that lunch date."</p>
<p>Marinette's gaze snapped up, her hand tugging on his lapel. "Huh?"</p>
<p>"You, me, and Kagami," he said softly. "From earlier this week."</p>
<p>"Oh, right." Her brain unstuck itself, and she finished making sure he looked perfect. "Yes, of course. Maybe next week."</p>
<p>When she was done, she was taken to the armoire - the trailer where the clothes were kept. She was given some menial task to put away the used clothes. She did it without comment or complaint. Sometimes, in these moments, she hated herself, and she couldn't quite figure out why.</p>
<p>#</p>
<p>It was too delicious. Lila had been on cloud nine ever since Marinette's little victory at Francoise Dupont. Even seeing the ugly bitch flushed with happiness at the party, or seeing her blushing and fluttering like a bug around Adrien did nothing to damper her mood. If anything, it only made her happier. Live it up, Lila thought smugly as she let Adrien hold her during the photo shoot.</p>
<p>Her gaze smoldered as she thought of the little secret she now held in her delicate little hands. The irony was that, this time, she was going to destroy Marinette Dupain-Cheng with nothing but the plain, unvarnished truth.</p>
<p>Adrien Agreste was Cat Noir.</p>
<p>Even now, as she stared into his sparkling green eyes, she couldn't help but let out a little giggle of pure pleasure.</p>
<p>"Bellissimo!" cried the photographer. "Perfetto!"</p>
<p>"You're in a good mood," Adrien murmured.</p>
<p>"Oh, Adrikins," she murmured back, "you have no idea."</p>
<p>It'd been nerve-racking lying to Hawk Moth when he'd asked her if she'd seen anything amiss. She had no idea if the supervillain had some way of using the akuma to get inside her head, to sense if she were lying. Maybe he did. Or maybe she was just that good of a liar. Who knew. </p>
<p>She had been Overseer. Chloé had been Plant Queen. It'd been a brilliant move on Hawk Moth's part to have two akumas with similar powers. The heroes hadn't realized that there was still an active akuma observing them after they'd disposed of Bourgeois. And now one of them had gotten careless. Chat Noir had slipped in through a window in the men’s locker room, but Adrien had been the one to walk out.</p>
<p>At first, she hadn't believed it. Adrien Agreste as Cat Noir? That was ridiculous. But the more she watched and re-watched footage from the Ladyblog, the more sense it made. And the more she studied him, the more she understood that it couldn't be anyone else but him. He had never been akumatized. He never appeared at the same time as Cat Noir. He knew she was lying even though he had no reason to think it. It wasn't that he was smarter than everyone else. He just had more information. And finally, he always wore that unadorned little silver ring, which was on the same finger as Cat Noir's miraculous. He only ever took it off for the photo shoots, and even then, he kept it in his pocket. He treated other jewelry, some of which cost as much as a nice car as though they were pieces of junk. But the ring - the ring he treated like a treasure beyond all value.</p>
<p>Lila knew liars. She knew lies. And Adrien was the biggest liar of them all.</p>
<p>After the shoot, Lila drifted away and checked her phone. A text from Kagami. What a useless cow. She was just about to put her phone away when she reconsidered. Poor little Kagami feeling so alone and scared. Scared of not being good enough. Scared of not having friends. Scared of losing Adrien. If only she knew the truth.</p>
<p>She texted back: Would you like to grab a coffee?</p>
<p>The response was immediate: Yes.</p>
<p>As Lila drifted toward the cafe, she mulled over exactly what the best way would be to proceed. Adrien being Cat Noir was forcing her to revamp her entire life plan. She couldn't tie herself down to a superhero. She wanted wealth and fame and power. Not martyrdom. And that’s all Adrikins was destined for. She had no doubt Hawk Moth was going to win. Certainly now that Cat Noir’s identity was exposed. All it would take was one text. One moment of Hawk Moth’s time. One single instant.</p>
<p>But then again… was that really what she wanted?</p>
<p>In truth, the black cat miraculous in and of itself did not interest her much. But as a means to an end, it could be invaluable. Leveraging it for another miraculous – now that was an attention grabber.</p>
<p>As much as she craved having the ladybug miraculous, she knew she only really wanted it in order to rub it in Ladybug’s face. She really had no interest prancing around summoning those dumbass lucky charms. How lame. Besides, Hawk Moth wanted the ladybug and black cat miraculous, and he was one of the few people in this city she dared not cross.</p>
<p>She would have to do some research. Maybe a quick call to Alya. But she was pretty certain that Hawk Moth cared little for the other miraculouses. Which meant he surely wouldn’t mind giving her the fox miraculous, and maybe one or two others depending on what was out there.</p>
<p>She’d been eyeing Adrien carefully ever since, but it’d been pretty clear that he did not part with the ring easily. There was no way she was going to get it from him without him realizing. At least, not in the near future. Either she killed him and took it, or she played the long game.</p>
<p>She had a feeling, however, that she was running out of time. Hawk Moth had given her explicit instructions to akumatize Marinette Dupain-Cheng. Lila had no clue why, other than he seemed to think she was somehow his key to victory. For a brief, blinding instant, she’d wondered if Little Miss Nosy was Ladybug. Wouldn’t that be some sweet, sweet irony? But then common sense kicked in. No way. Apart from the fact that Marinette was an imbecilic klutz, there was just no way she would’ve let Lila get away with all the shit she pulled if she’d had the power to stop Lila in her tracks. If she’d been Ladybug, it’d have taken literally one minute to turn to the Ladyblogger at any time and tell her that Lila was a liar. Maybe before the expulsion, Marinette might’ve been willing to take the high road, but after? No fucking way. Marinette Dupain-Cheng just couldn’t be that much of a saint.</p>
<p>But that didn’t mean that Hawk Moth didn’t know something that Lila didn’t. Maybe Marinette held another miraculous. Or maybe she knew Ladybug’s identity. Who knew. It only mattered that he’d demanded she get the girl akumatized, and she’d promised to do it.</p>
<p>Her phone buzzed. Lila, where are you?</p>
<p>Coming, she texted back.</p>
<p>Lila would have to think about it. And plan very carefully. Somehow, she’d have to take the ring and destroy Cat Noir and Ladybug at the same time. And if she managed to burn Marinette Dupain-Cheng in the process, then that would just be the icing on a very miraculous cake.</p>
<p>Maybe I really am a psychopath, she thought with a little giggle.</p>
<p>#</p>
<p>"For you, princess." With a little flourish, Cat Noir presented Marinette with a proper bouquet of flowers.</p>
<p>"They're lovely," Marinette said. And they were. It was a giant bouquet of dark pink peonies.</p>
<p>She slid back down to the ground and hunted about for a vase. Once she had them opened up and arranged, she inhaled deeply before returning back to the terrace.</p>
<p>"Ready?"</p>
<p>"You really shouldn't have," she said, embarrassed but pleased.</p>
<p>"A proper date," he said. "Not just me creeping into your bedroom like... well, a creep."</p>
<p>"I'd call it stalking," she mused. "More suited to what cats do."</p>
<p>"Ha ha." He stepped close to her, her body tingling by whatever strange process of biochemical induction that made her respond whenever he was near. He pulled her to him with one hand. She was startled by his strength, and the magical way they were propelled through the air. Wind whipped at her face, blowing her hair behind her in streams, but never did the  process of bounding across rooftops feel truly uncomfortable. There wasn't even a jolt when they landed.</p>
<p>"Magic suit," he explained. "Buffers damage. Even to people I'm carrying. Don't think too hard about it."</p>
<p>She smiled. "So if I tackle you off the side of a building, and we plummet to the cement far below, neither of us will get hurt?"</p>
<p>His look of alarm had her bursting out laughing.</p>
<p>"Oh, ha," he said, shaking his head. "Forget fashion. You should be in comedy, Amazon princess."</p>
<p>"Amazon princess?" She raised an eyebrow.</p>
<p>"Well akuma hunter princess just takes too much effort to say. And shortening it to akuma princess sounds weird. Besides, Amazon princess fits. Anyway, we're here."</p>
<p>Marinette paused as she stared at the sign out front. "La Tour d‘Or? Cat, we can't. This is too much."</p>
<p>"Don't be ridiculous. Besides, I have a lot of dates to make up for."</p>
<p>"You'll be seen. We'll be seen. Together."</p>
<p>"That's the idea," he replied and winked. "But no worries. I've booked us a private table. Other than the walk through the restaurant, we'll be fine. Besides, this is a place that caters to the wealthy. I may be a little eccentrically dressed, but I'm sure people will not gawk."</p>
<p>Marinette tried again. "I'm not dressed."</p>
<p>He looked over in a way that made her skin sizzle. "Au contraire. I think you're overdressed." He put on his serious face and added. "I want this, Marinette. For me. For you. For us."</p>
<p>"Oh, Cat. I can't resist you when you say mushy things like that."</p>
<p>He led her inside. Her gaze roved over the place with a wondering yet critical eye. The restaurant featured a more traditional look with heavy wood paneling that was contrasted by the bright, almost sparkly atmosphere. It was very clearly a restaurant for romantic occasions, if the clientele were any indication. and then there was the view of La Seine.</p>
<p>"You got us a window seat," she murmured, raising a hand to touch the glass but pausing, embarrassed at the last second. "They only give those out to important people."</p>
<p>"I think we qualify."</p>
<p>"You qualify," she amended.</p>
<p>"Don't be like that." He made a show of examining his menu. "You're literally the only non-superhero to ever beat down an akuma. That makes you qualified in my book. According to the Ladyblog, you're apparently starting a revolution."</p>
<p>Marinette blushed. "I don't know what Alya was thinking posting that."</p>
<p>"I'm thinking she understands Parisians." </p>
<p>Before she could demand an explanation to that comment, they were attended to by the staff. After a flurry of picking through the menu items and cringing at the prices, they finally negotiated their way through a glass of wine each as well as their courses.</p>
<p>Marinette watched her glass of red wine with a little trepidation.</p>
<p>"Drink slowly," Cat Noir said.</p>
<p>"I've had lots of wine," she replied a little defensively. "At home. It's never been a problem."</p>
<p>"Maybe wait for the food?"</p>
<p>"Fine." She reached a hand over the table. He reached back so that their fingers intertwined. "Thank you, Cat. This does mean a lot to me."</p>
<p>"I'm glad." Somehow, the lights from overhead made his eyes seem to glow like jewels. "You mean a lot to me, Marinette."</p>
<p>"Because I'm the akuma hunter?"</p>
<p>"We were together before that," he admonished.</p>
<p>"Only because I made you." She didn't know why she was pushing. Maybe because there were still thing she didn't understand about him. Or maybe seeing Adrien earlier had messed with her head.</p>
<p>He furrowed his brow in concentration. Finally, he seemed to gather his thoughts and begin speaking, "The truth is, Marinette, I don't know what I'm doing half the time. People have all these expectations of me. I have all these thoughts and emotions inside me. It feels like I'm fit to burst. I wish I had someone I could speak to about these things. No parents. No friends."</p>
<p>"You have me," she said.</p>
<p>He smiled. "Sometimes I think I need a therapist."</p>
<p>"It can't be easy," she said, "being a superhero. The pressure must be horrendous."</p>
<p>"You know what the funny thing is? When I became a superhero, it was actually the first time I'd felt truly free."</p>
<p>"My poor, confused kitty." She leaned forward, running her fingers along his forearm. "I wish I could reach over and give you some head scritches."</p>
<p>"That does sound very tempting," he replied. "I wonder if I can maybe just crawl under the table and-"</p>
<p>"Don't you dare!"</p>
<p>He made to sink down in his chair. She snatched his hand and tugged. "If you do, I'm going to hold on and this whole table's going to go tipping over."</p>
<p>"Okay, okay!" he sat up straight. "Jeez. You can't just tempt me with head scritches, and not expect a response."</p>
<p>She relaxed. "Later. Head scritches and then some."</p>
<p>Eventually, the servers came by with their dinners. They ate in a companionable silence.</p>
<p>"Does the food measure up?" he asked.</p>
<p>"It's delicious. Very rich," she added. "I might live over a bakery, but we don't exactly do fine dining. It's all very nice, but I'm afraid some of the quality is probably lost on me."</p>
<p>"We'll have to do this more often then," he said. "Nothing but the best for my princess."</p>
<p>An hour later, they shuffled out of the restaurant, full and content and feeling fat and lazy.</p>
<p>"I'm not sure I can propel us all the way up there."</p>
<p>"You'd better, Cat," she said. "It's chilly out here."</p>
<p>"As my lady commands." He took her in his arms, the warmth of his body a relief from the cool November night air. Soon they were whipping over the low-rise buildings and gently alighting atop her balcony.</p>
<p>"Come inside."</p>
<p>"I want this to be a proper date," he murmured. "I want to kiss my lady at the door and let her return home with warm thoughts of her prince."</p>
<p>"That's so sweet of you," she said. She leaned in and hugged him. "Thank you. Thank you for a proper date, and for making me feel beautiful and loved."</p>
<p>"You are beautiful," he said into her hair. "And you are loved."</p>
<p>If he didn't stop saying these things, she was going to turn into a warm pile of goo at his feet. He walked her to the window and unlatched it before holding her hand as she leapt inside. She turned and stood on her toes. He leaned down and gave her a kiss. She wrapped her hands around the back of his head and pulled him in closer to deepen the kiss. They stood there for nearly a minute before finally separating for air.</p>
<p>"I love you," she said. "Heaven help me, Cat, I love you."</p>
<p>"I... love you too, Marinette."</p>
<p>"Go on," she said. "I'll see you next week."</p>
<p>Reluctantly, she watched him turn away and disappear into the dark.</p>
<p>#</p>
<p>"Come on, girl, bring Cat Noir."</p>
<p>"I can't, Alya," Marinette said. They were just stepping into math class together along with the rush of other students.</p>
<p>"But it's Nino's 18th," Alya wheedled. "It would make him super happy."</p>
<p>"I can't." Marinette shook her head, but couldn't help but smile. "Cat's a very private person. I had to push him to come to the Ladyblog party. I don't want to force him."</p>
<p>"But you have to go out with him sometimes," Alya said. "You can't just be his scarlet woman-"</p>
<p>"Stop!" Marinette cried, and then, embarrassed, looked around to see if anyone was listening. Alya had been too close to the mark there.</p>
<p>Alya studied her shrewdly. "Don't tell me you're his mistress. Girl, that's...."</p>
<p>"It's not like that," Marinette said. She pushed past her friend and made a show of taking her seat and pulling out her textbook. "Cat's a very complicated person."</p>
<p>"How complicated can it be?" All cheer seemed to have drained from Alya's face as she continued to probe. "Are you serious." She leaned in and lowered her voice. "He's got a main squeeze and you're the girl on the side?"</p>
<p>"I don't...," Marinette trailed off, unsure of what to say. She didn't want to admit it, but neither did she want to lie. Telling  Alya the truth felt like it was opening herself up to the reality of the situation. "Please, just drop it."</p>
<p>Alya huffed, but still took a seat next to her. </p>
<p>Marinette tried to focus on the equations that the instructor was already scribbling on the board, but the feel of Alya's irritation kept her thoughts jittery. Alya wasn't wrong, but Alya also didn't understand. Marinette understood. Being a superhero... it was a terrible life. It messed with her head, and from everything she saw of Cat Noir, it messed with his too. He needed her as much as she needed him. So long as she could think of Cat Noir as his own person, separate and distinct from the nameless figure in his civilian life, then it was okay. She relaxed as she reassured herself that her situation was unique. Cat needed someone to share his life with, and whoever the girl was that he had in his civilian persona was not someone Cat could get close to. To do so would threaten his secret identity. And if he did do it - if he did manage to have a relationship with the same person in both personas without that person ever knowing... well that would be a special kind of betrayal, wouldn't it?</p>
<p>She glanced at Alya, who determinedly did not look at her during class. Alya wouldn't understand. No one could.</p>
<p>Class ended without event. A quick glance at her half-baked notes told her she was going to have to have a study session with Sass later that evening. The kwami of intuition was a God-send. The ability to just do over the same five minutes without repercussion or consequence again and again was perhaps the most miraculous of all the powers.</p>
<p>They were in the hallway when Marinette jolted to a stop. A thought had dawned bright and clear in her mind. It carried with it the power of divine revelation.</p>
<p>I know how to find Hawk Moth.</p>
<p>Reality itself seemed to shudder as the idea blossomed, facet upon facet expanding from a seed of an idea. The  possibility shoving its way further and further into the realm of the probable, and ultimately toward the inevitable. The more she studied it, the more it seemed sound. Foolproof, even. And yet it was so painfully simple. It had been there all along. A delicate, simple strategy. All this time, she had suffered living in these concrete shoes, her body descending into the depths of a great ocean, the light overhead growing dimmer and dimmer as she sank further and further into the murky depths. And now, suddenly, the concrete shoes were gone, and she was free to swim back up. She only needed to draw on that last bit of strength in her body, her soul, her heart. She could do this. She could be free. Just a little longer. Just a little more.</p>
<p>"Whoa, watch it!"</p>
<p>"You okay?"</p>
<p>"Yeah, yeah."</p>
<p>"Marinette?" Fingers snapped in front of her eyes.</p>
<p>She blinked and tracked the fingers to Alya. They were standing in the hall, students streaming around them like water around a rock.</p>
<p>"You totally spaced out there," said Alya worriedly. She pulled Marinette aside, and now Marinette could see that Nino and Adrien had joined them as well.</p>
<p>"Sorry," she said, rubbing her temples. She racked her brain for an excuse, but in truth, she didn't care. She didn't know when she'd stopped caring exactly, but she suspected it'd been a slow thing, like that frog in a pot of boiling water that didn't realize it was slowly being cooked to death. Freedom was there on the horizon. She still feared it was a mirage - a hallucination brought on by the slowly mounting pressure of being a hero, a guardian, a daughter, a student, a friend. The tacitly understood but never explicitly acknowledged reality that either she would defeat Hawk Moth and become the guardian of the miraculous, her life more or less mapped out, or she would lose, in which case her life as she knew it would end along with everyone else's. There was no in-between. No fashion design. No high school diploma. No romance. No love. No three kids and a hamster.</p>
<p>"I'm not feeling so well," she said finally. "I think I'm going to go home-"</p>
<p>Alya yanked her into an empty classroom. "Boys, stay out of this," she called back and slammed the door shut.</p>
<p>"You've got a mean grip there, Alya." Marinette absently rubbed her arm. She had an inkling of what this was about. Just get through it, get home, and get planning. This was her mantra.</p>
<p>"What. The. Hell." Alya put her hands on her hips.</p>
<p>"What?" She couldn't keep the defensiveness from her voice. </p>
<p>"This," Alya said, suddenly trembling with emotion, "is why everyone believed Lila over you."</p>
<p>Marinette froze. She didn't just hear what she thought she heard. "Alya," Marinette began, suddenly drawn fully into the conversation, "what did you just say?"</p>
<p>"You vanish at odd times, you space out-" she slammed her fist down on a nearby desk. "You lie, Marinette. You're always lying."</p>
<p>"I - I'm not." But she couldn't hold Alya's gaze. Fuck. She'd never even considered that other people thought she was a liar. And she was, so it wasn't like she could blame them, even if she did anyway.</p>
<p>"You are, and then you have the nerve to call bullshit on Lila for the same thing."</p>
<p>This couldn't be happening. "You're comparing me to her?"</p>
<p>"Is it drugs?" Alya asked finally.</p>
<p>Marinette briefly contemplated telling Alya that, yes, it was in fact drugs. Would that get her out of this conversation more quickly? But then the blood drained from her face as she thought of someone - her parents most likely - ransacking her room in search of drugs, only to find the miracle box.</p>
<p>"Drugs? What? No! Alya, you know me. I would never do drugs. I couldn't even handle a glass of wine at the party." </p>
<p>"Unless maybe the reason you had such a bad reaction is because you did drugs before you showed up. Are you and Cat doing that sort of thing together?"</p>
<p>Fury swelled within her. How dare she bring Cat into this. "Not a word about Cat Noir," she said. "Not a fucking word, Alya. Don't you trash him just because you're desperate for a scoop."</p>
<p>"Desperate for a scoop? What the hell is that supposed-"</p>
<p>Marinette cut off Alya's indignant reply. "You know very well what it means. You're not happy unless you're digging into somebody's business. And if there's nothing to dig up, then you just get crazier and crazier until you’re making shit up."</p>
<p>"I'm worried about you!" Alya spat through gritted teeth. "I can't even believe this. You flake out on me left right and center, and when I confront you about it, all I get is this defensive shit. You seriously don't expect me to be upset that you're sneaking around with Cat Noir two-timing some poor girl, lying to me about it and then getting angry at me when I call you out on your bullshit? And what the fuck was that in the hallway? You'd spaced out for like a minute. I thought maybe you were having some sort of attack."</p>
<p>"I told you I'm not feeling well," she mumbled, but she knew it didn't sound truthful. Not even to her own ears.</p>
<p>"I want the truth, Marinette. I'm your friend, but I can't just keep doing this forever. Why won't you trust me? I thought we had each other's back."</p>
<p>I'm Ladybug. The words were right there. Two words. It would solve everything. It would destroy her. Such a simple yet terrible truth. </p>
<p>"You're right, Alya," Marinette said. She wasn't sure when it happened, but her back was pressed against the wall, her bookbag held protectively in her arms like a security blanket. She slid to the floor and stared at the empty classroom. "I'm a liar. You don't even know half the lies I've been telling to people." She stared down at the little flower design she'd woven into her bag. Funny how there'd been a time when she'd been so proud of that. "My mother caught me and Cat Noir making out in my bedroom. He's been sneaking in through the balcony you know. She flipped. Of course, she got akumatized. It's funny. I never really thought too much about akumas before. They're unhappy people ,you see, and then they turn into raging monsters, and then Ladybug and Cat Noir come along and fix them. But they don't really fix them, do they, Alya? They're still unhappy people. They still have to go back to their unhappy lives. Maybe if they're lucky, the akumatization will change their lives for the better. But I think you know better than most that it tends to do the opposite."</p>
<p>Alya came and sat down next to her.</p>
<p>"After my mother was akumatized," Marinette continued, "You know the first thing I started doing? I started figuring out how to lie to her to make sure I could keep seeing Cat Noir. I was really good at it. By the time I finished lying, my parents were happier, and I got what I wanted. And you know what the weird thing is? I don't actually think of myself as a liar. Bad people are liars, Alya. But I'm a good person."</p>
<p>"Marinette-"</p>
<p>"I'll understand if you don't want to be my friend anymore," she barreled on. "It's fine, really. I sort of emotionally let you go after the expulsion anyway. It was painful, but I was getting tired of the whole thing. Tired of fighting. I mean… you were my best friend. Nino, I’d known for years. Adrien knew Lila was a liar. And you all just kind of threw me away. Cat made me feel for the first time like it was okay for me to just be me.”</p>
<p>You'd throw away our friendship over this?" Alya asked. "Over these secrets?"</p>
<p>"You're the one throwing it away," she replied. "Why can't you just have me as a friend regardless? Why do you have to dig?"</p>
<p>Alya sighed. "You're the strangest person I ever met, Marinette Dupain-Cheng. You're sweet and kind and clumsy. But then you're also this badass that told Hawk Moth to fuck off, and you've got all these weird secrets or lies or whatever. I feel like I keep making excuses for you in my head, and it just makes me feel like you're not really my friend."</p>
<p>"You're my friend," she replied, leaning over and hugging her. "I'm not sure you've noticed, Als, but you're actually my only friend. If I don't have you, I kind of have no one."</p>
<p>"Seriously?" Alya said, hugging her back. "I think you have some sort of guilt-tripping super power. That's it, you're secretly a supervillain, and you're conquering the world one macaron at a time."</p>
<p>"Are you - are we - cool?"</p>
<p>"We're cool," Alya said. "I'm sorry for blowing up at you."</p>
<p>"I'm sorry for being a weirdo spaz."</p>
<p>"Well, I kind of knew it already. After all, I've been observing you lurking all over Adrien for the past two years. Come on, the boys are probably ready to call for help."</p>
<p>Alya got to her feet and helped Marinette up. "You're really okay if I have my... eccentricities?"</p>
<p>"You can only call them eccentricities if you're rich." She opened the door and sure enough, Adrien and Nino were hanging around exchanging uncertain glances. "We're cool, boys. Just some girl talk." She then turned back to Marinette, an evil glint in her eye. "But Marinette's totally coming to your birthday party, isn't that right, Marinette?"</p>
<p>Marinette sighed. "No Cat Noir though."</p>
<p>"You make sure to bring him by some time though," said Alya. "Because I've got to give him a piece of my mind."</p>
<p>Marinette squeezed her friend back. "Thank you, Alya. For caring. It does mean a lot to me."</p>
<p>#</p>
<p>"Please don't tell me Lila's here," Marinette whined. "I don't think I can stomach an evening in her presence."</p>
<p>"No Lila," said Alya. </p>
<p>Marinette and Alya were lounging on Alya's sofa waiting for the others to come around. Nino had decided to forego something fancy, preferring a more intimate arrangement. Which meant himself, Marinette, Alya and-</p>
<p>"Adrien!" Marinette squeaked as the door opened. "And Kagami!"</p>
<p>"Hi guys," Adrien said.</p>
<p>Kagami made straight for Marinette and gave her a warm hug. "Hello, friend."</p>
<p>"Hello to you to, friend."</p>
<p>Kagami pulled back and stared at Marinette sternly. "You have been avoiding us. We were supposed to have a lunch date."</p>
<p>"Right. I've been a little busy."</p>
<p>"Yeah, busy kicking akuma ass." Nino stepped into the door and held up a brown paper bag. "Behold!"</p>
<p>He drew out a bottle of amber liquid.</p>
<p>Adrien raised an eyebrow. "Rum?"</p>
<p>"Yep. This baby-" he patted the bottle, "is the very first bottle of hard liquor I've ever bought. I'm no longer going to be a rum virgin."</p>
<p>"Classy," Alya said, coming around and smacking Nino on the head. "You're lucky my parents took my sisters out for the evening. Let's not leave this lying around. The rest of us are still underage."</p>
<p>"Chill, babe. We can all handle it." He winked at Marinette. "Except flyweight over there."</p>
<p>Nino put the bottle on the coffee table and popped into the kitchen, returning with five shot glasses.</p>
<p>"Let's get this party started." </p>
<p>Glasses were passed around, and soon Alya got the stereo going as well with some mellow jazz tunes.</p>
<p>"Ooh, sophisticated," Nino said.</p>
<p>"Not everything has to be about Jagged Stone," replied Alya. She took a seat next to him and put an arm around him. She leaned in and kissed him.</p>
<p>"Can you believe it? Our last year of lycée," Adrien said. "It feels like it was just yesterday that I was sneaking out of my house to go to school."</p>
<p>"You snuck out of your home... to attend school?" Kagami asked, startled.</p>
<p>Adrien smiled. "Yep. Those were the days."</p>
<p>Alya grinned. "Yeah, were they ever." She pointed at Adrien and Marinette. "These two were on the path to becoming mortal enemies."</p>
<p>"Enemies? But how?"</p>
<p>"He put chewing gum on my seat." </p>
<p>“I totally did not,” he said, explaining the story to Kagami.</p>
<p>Marinette took a sip of the rum and choked. "Oh God, what is that? It tastes like battery acid."</p>
<p>"And have you tasted battery acid before?" Nino asked archly. "I'll have you know this is the finest rum money can buy."</p>
<p>Marinette glared. "This is disgusting."</p>
<p>"You're supposed to drink it all at once, I think," added Alya. "Probably so you taste as little of it as possible."</p>
<p>"Here here." Adrien raised his glass and clinked it against Kagami's. Everyone followed suit. "To Nino, for making it to 18 without going deaf from listening to all those tunes."</p>
<p>"And to having such good friends to keep him company on the journey," added Alya.</p>
<p>Nino picked up the bottle and poured another glass for each.</p>
<p>"Slow down there, party animal," Alya said. "Let's order some pizza so we're not wasted by our third shot."</p>
<p>"Why does it say 151 on the bottle cap?" Kagami asked curiously.</p>
<p>Nino snickered. "No reason. Drink up."</p>
<p>"It does burn in a most unpleasant fashion," Kagami said, staring at the dark, unassuming liquid.</p>
<p>There came a flurry of negotiations over pizza toppings.</p>
<p>"Seriously, Marinette, we're not getting a pineapple jalapeno feta pizza. That's disgusting."</p>
<p>"You've never even tried it!"</p>
<p>"And, God willing, I'm never going to."</p>
<p>"Fifteen minutes later, they were through their second shot, and Nino was pouring a third. "Okay, let's not drink that until after the pizza's arrived and eaten," said Adrien. "We're still technically underage."</p>
<p>"Yeah, and your dad would kill you if he found out we're being such a bad influence."</p>
<p>Marinette settled into her chair. The alcohol seemed to splash over her mind in waves. The lights seemed to pop with color, and the smiles on the faces of her friends made her giggle. Even after the pizza  came and went, the fuzzy, happy feeling persisted.</p>
<p>Someone shouted presents, and there was a quick grab for packages and envelopes.</p>
<p>"Dude, you got me a... pen?" Nino's voice was incredulous. "This better not be a re-gift."</p>
<p>"It's so you can autograph your albums when you're famous." Adrien leaned back and stretched.</p>
<p>"Dude, that’s like years away. If ever.”</p>
<p>"I'm sure you'll have albums one day." Adrien's grin was sly. "Especially since….” He gestured to Marinette.</p>
<p>“I've arranged for you to work with Jagged Stone to remix a song of your choice," she finished happily.</p>
<p>“And,” Adrien went on, “Kagami and I pitched in to buy you these.” He pulled out an envelope and handed it over. “Tickets and backstage passes to Jagged Stone’s next concert for you and Alya.”</p>
<p>"Dudes, you can't be...." Once the shock wore off, Nino jumped up and ran and leapt onto his best friend. "I can't fucking believe it. Are you serious? You're serious. I can't believe you're serious."</p>
<p>"Yeah, and we got Alya an interview with him too. Consider it an early birthday gift, Alya."</p>
<p>"eeeeee!" Alya jumped up and piled on top of the two.</p>
<p>Marinette could see Kagami poking out from the side, blushing and extremely uncomfortable. On an impulse, she leapt up and ran around the table and jumped on Kagami. "Banzai!"</p>
<p>"AIEEE!" Kagami made to defend herself, but mass and momentum were on Marinette's side.</p>
<p>After much wriggling and screaming to get off, the three slouched back to their seats.</p>
<p>"Spinny," murmured Marinette as she flopped back down in her seat. "Nino, you're spinning."</p>
<p>"Flyweight," he said affectionately.</p>
<p>Marinette was downing her fourth shot when someone - she was pretty sure it was Adrien - said, "Truth or dare."</p>
<p>Everyone groaned except Kagami, who said, "What's that?"</p>
<p>"Oh we're definitely doing it," said Adrien with newfound excitement.</p>
<p>"This is going to be so bad," Alya cried but leaned forward. "What're the rules, hot stuff?"</p>
<p>"Let's just take turns," said Adrien. He glanced at Marinette. "Or maybe we could have a bit of a competition."</p>
<p>"Ultimate Mecha Strike 3!" Marinette cried, and started giggling.</p>
<p>Her gazed rifted over to Adrien. It was harder and harder to not look at him with a goofy little smile on her face. She remembered Cat Noir tricking her so long ago. "I'll toast your guys’ butts, and then I'll have all the truths and you'll have all the dares."</p>
<p>The others exchanged glances. "What's this girl talking about?" Alya turned to Nino. "How many's she had?"</p>
<p>"Five, I think."</p>
<p>Alya slapped her forehead. "You dummy. You're going to have her throwing up all over the place."</p>
<p>"What, why?" Adrien turned a questioning gaze on her.</p>
<p>"Such pretty eyes," she murmured.</p>
<p>"No more," huffed Alya. "It's 151 proof. It's almost twice as potent as regular rum. That girls' just had the equivalent of nine shots."</p>
<p>"Nino! You dummy."</p>
<p>Kagami quickly put her own glass down. "Oh, I just had three and a half."</p>
<p>Nino snickered again. "You guys are too funny."</p>
<p>"Hilarious," deadpanned Alya.</p>
<p>"Truth!" Marinette cried, giggling.</p>
<p>"Yeah? Nino leaned forward.</p>
<p>"Nothing too embarrassing," Alya hissed.</p>
<p>"Yeah, yeah. No worries, babe." He turned to Marinette. "Are you really planning to run all supers out of town?"</p>
<p>A silly little grin appeared on her face as she imagined running herself out of town. "Ladybug's not going to stay forever," she said. "Once Fuckmoth's gone, Ladybug's gotta go too."</p>
<p>"What? Don't be ridiculous. That doesn't make any sense."</p>
<p>"Yeah, what makes you say that?" asked Alya curious and intrigued.</p>
<p>"Nuh-uh." Marinette waggled her finger. "Someone else's turn."</p>
<p>"A dare," said Adrien calmly.</p>
<p>"Strip!" Marinette cried before blushing and putting her hand over her mouth in embarrassment.</p>
<p>"No, ew," said Nino. "No one should have to put up with seeing Adrien's pasty white ass. Except maybe Kagami."</p>
<p>"Sing a song," Alya said.</p>
<p>"No wait!" Marinette cried, shooting up. She stared slyly at Adrien. "We'll take a group picture. Let's make it as embarrassing as possible. And then Adrien will send it to his dad."</p>
<p>"No way!" Nino turned to her. "That's evil. I see it now. You're Fuckmoth."</p>
<p>She began to laugh so hard she slid out of her chair onto the floor. "yeah, me - Fuckmoth. Ha!"</p>
<p>Everyone piled into a group photo on the love seat. Alya held the phone up. Nino put Adrien in a headlock and was half-draped over his and Kagami's lap. Marinette was giving both Adrien and Kagami rabbit ears.</p>
<p>"Say cheese!"</p>
<p>"Spaghetti!" Adrien and Marinette shouted before collapsing into more giggles.</p>
<p>"You can't - you're not really going to make me send that to my dad." Adrien's voice was strangled.</p>
<p>"If you don't, I will," said Nino.</p>
<p>Reluctantly, he pulled it up and sent it.</p>
<p>"You want to have a go?" Adrien asked to Kagami.</p>
<p>"Um." She glanced between them. "Truth?"</p>
<p>"Are you asking us or telling us."</p>
<p>"Truth," she said resolutely.</p>
<p>"First boy you ever kissed," came Alya's quick response and shark's grin.</p>
<p>Kagami glanced at Adrien blushing. "Adrien."</p>
<p>"Ooh!"</p>
<p>She then leaned in and gave him a  chaste peck on the lips.</p>
<p>"Look at you, bro! Your girlfriend likes PDAs!"</p>
<p>Adrien turned, a wicked smile on his face. "Your turn, Nino."</p>
<p>"Truth," he said confidently. "I got nothing to hide."</p>
<p>"When did you first start carrying a condom in your wallet."</p>
<p>Nino froze. He opened his mouth and then closed. "Dude, not cool. I'm totally going to kill you."</p>
<p>"Are you refusing to answer the question?" he challenged.</p>
<p>"On me and Alya's first date," he mumbled.</p>
<p>"What!?" Alya screeched. She smacked him on the head. "What kind of a girl do you think I am?"</p>
<p>"I didn't know!" he exclaimed. "I was just being... careful. You know, having foresight and all that."</p>
<p>Adrien leaned back with a self-satisfied smirk.</p>
<p>"All right, Als," said Marinette. "You've punished him enough. Besides, think of it this way. he liked you enough to want to commit to you in that way."</p>
<p>Alya grimaced. "Boys don't work like that. Commitment isn't in their vocabulary. You know that better than anyone."</p>
<p>"Alya," Marinette said, warning her off.</p>
<p>There was a moment of tension before Kagami cut through it. "I would like to dare Alya to do something."</p>
<p>"Alya's got to choose a truth or dare," Adrien said.</p>
<p>"S'okay," Alya replied. "I'm ready for a dare."</p>
<p>Kagami was staring up at the tv screen. The music had ended, and the screen now showed Alya's various songs and videos. "I want you to put on that video." She pointed to one marked: Adrien b'day gift 1. "That's my dare."</p>
<p>Alya stared up at the screen in frank puzzlement. Slowly, like water in a glass, comprehension filled her. She mouthed the filename as if to do so would somehow help her figure out how to respond. She glanced at Marinette, who was only vaguely aware of the conversation happening around her.</p>
<p>"I want a dare," she said happily. "Come on, Alya. Dare me to kiss-"</p>
<p>"Marinette!" Alya cut in quickly. She turned back to the others. "Look, that video's for Marinette."</p>
<p>Kagami raised a delicate eyebrow. "Okay." She turned to Marinette. "Marinette, you want a dare, don't you?"</p>
<p>"I don't think-"</p>
<p>"Totally! Hit me, Kagami friend!"</p>
<p>"Can we play that video?" She pointed to the screen.</p>
<p>Marinette stared up at the screen, but it was suddenly too bright, and the words blurred together. "Yes?"</p>
<p>"I don't know," Adrien began, but he was staring longingly at the video, as if he could make it start playing by the force of his gaze alone.</p>
<p>"What is the penalty for refusing a dare?" asked Kagami.</p>
<p>"Come on," added Nino. "The video's like two years old, isn't it?" He pointed to the date stamp on the file. "Whatever's in there can't be that bad."</p>
<p>Alya sighed. "I give up." With one last, apologetic glance at Marinette, she hit play.</p>
<p>"Go Lady Wi-Fi!" Marinette cheered and giggled.</p>
<p>She turned to watch the video. "Hey, that's me!" She giggled again.</p>
<p>#</p>
<p>Adrien watched transfixed as the camera swished shakily from side to side, capturing all of Marinette's room in wide sweeps. The first thing that seared through his brain were the sheer number of photos of him. He'd seen bits of footage from the Jagged Stone video, but had never paid attention. At least not to the ones that had hearts drawn on them. He was about to put a stop to it when the camera focused on Marinette lounging on her chaise.</p>
<p>"Hey, girl!" shouted Alya through the speakers.</p>
<p>"Alya! What are you doing? Put that away."</p>
<p>"No way. We're making history today."</p>
<p>Marinette blushed and smiled. She had a mess of blue fabric on her lap along with needles. Threads of all kinds were looped about her hands and wrists.</p>
<p>"It's not history."</p>
<p>"It's not a history," Alya replied. "But it is your history. Think of all the little Adrienettes that you're going to have running around here one day. Aren't they gonna wanna know how it all started?"</p>
<p>Were we ever that young? Adrien wondered. Marinette's cheeks were a little rounder, and she was even more expressive than she was now.</p>
<p>"Alya, stop it!" she cried, putting up her knitting project to hide her furiously flaming cheeks. "Oh my God, what if somebody watches this one day."</p>
<p>"No one's going to watch it. Not unless you want them to," Alya soothed. "Now let's examine this beautiful scarf. Look at that stitching."</p>
<p>"It's got cable-knit in a pattern here and purl stitches on the border here, see?" she said, suddenly excited to show it off. "This is my favorite pattern in the whole world. And the blue - I picked it because it's hard to match blue and green sometimes, and I think it'll just be so lovely with his eyes." She held up what Adrien was now understanding was a scarf. A very familiar scarf. A chill began to creep down his spine. "And look. I bought this beautiful wool. Come feel. It's an alpaca cashmere blend."</p>
<p>"Very soft." A hand reached from behind the camera to touch it. "I'm sure you're having lots of fun imagining this touching Adrien's naked skin."</p>
<p>"Alya, stop it! Please. It's not like that. Adrien's... he's a friend." Marinette peered down at her hands as if she found something fascinating there. She mumbled something.</p>
<p>"What's that, girl? Speak up."</p>
<p>"He doesn't think of me like that."</p>
<p>"That's because he doesn't know you looooooooove him," Alya said in a sing-song.</p>
<p>"I don't!" Another burst of red spread across her cheeks. "I mean... I do - I don't know, Alya."</p>
<p>"What do you mean you don't know? You've been making doe eyes at Adrien Agreste ever since he first walked into class."</p>
<p>"Not when he first walked in," she said, complaining. "That's revisionist." She hesitated. "It was later... when he gave me his umbrella." </p>
<p>The Marinette on screen turned her attention to something off to the side. Her gaze unfocused as though she were looking at something impossibly far away. Her expression turned radiant as if she were suddenly bathed in a heavenly light. "I was so mean to him, you know? It was his first day of school, and he was so excited. I didn't know it at the time, you know? But he was still so kind to me." She looked down at her scarf again in concentration. "He's beautiful... and kind... and compassionate."</p>
<p>"You do love him." Alya’s voice was softer now. "Girl, you have to tell him how you feel. If you keep waiting, you're going to miss your chance."</p>
<p>She looked up at the camera, and a ghost of that same vulnerable fear Adrien had seen so many times before graced her features. "I can't, Alya. He's so wonderful, and he's got so many beautiful girls all fawning over him. Why would he ever look at someone like me? Plain old Marinette. A baker's daughter."</p>
<p>"Don't be ridiculous. That's Chloé-talk and you know it."</p>
<p>Adrien glanced over to see that Marinette had lost her smile from before. She wasn't watching the screen exactly, but from the tension in her shoulders and the way she was gripping the fabric of her skirt, she was listening. The screen pulled his attention back.</p>
<p>"He's wonderful, remember?" Screen Alya came down and sat next to screen Marinette. "He won't care about those things, Marinette. He'll like you because you're sweet and kind."</p>
<p>"Sweet and kind's not good enough."</p>
<p>"Well you're not only sweet and kind, but you bake a mean macaron, and you're an amazingly talented fashion designer."</p>
<p>Marinette shook her head. "That's only going to make it worse, Alya. He'll think I'm trying to use him."</p>
<p>"Poor girl." Screen Alya gave screen Marinette a hug. The camera view tilted wildly as it was tossed onto the bed so that a photo of Adrien from a magazine stared crookedly at the screen while they continued to talk.</p>
<p>"I can't even string two words together when he's near," Marinette went on quietly. "I'm just a foolish, babbling mess. Everyone knows it. That's why I wanted to make him this scarf. I thought if I can't speak to him with words, then maybe if I made him something, he'll know that I care. Even if he doesn't think of me as anything but a friend. He'll at least know I care. I don't think - I don't think his home life is very nice."</p>
<p>"What makes you say that?"</p>
<p>"I don't know," she went on. The camera was picked up once more and Marinette reappeared once more. "sometimes when I look at him, he just sort of looks sad. And sometimes, the way he talks about school - like he's so happy to be there and to have friends. It makes me wonder, you know? And I can't help that my heart just goes out to him. Whenever he's near, it's like my heart starts singing." She blushed. "You probably think that's super corny."</p>
<p>"No, it's sweet," Alya said. "And I for one think Adrien Agreste would be a really lucky guy to have you as his girlfriend."</p>
<p>"One day," she said, holding up the scarf. "Maybe after I give him this - maybe he'll like it. Maybe he'll see how much I care for him. Then he can decide, I guess. I've poured all my love into this scarf. I've spent weeks working on it. I've picked everything so carefully. I made sure every stitch was perfect."</p>
<p>"He's going to love it," Alya said. "And you'll see. He'll love you for it too. It's all going to work out. Mark my words."</p>
<p>"You think so?"</p>
<p>"I know so, Marinette."</p>
<p>The video ended.</p>
<p>"I," Alya began, licking her lips. "I didn't really remember most of that. Marinette, I'm sorry."</p>
<p>But when they turned to look at Marinette, they realized that she was gone.</p>
<p>#</p>
<p>Marinette stumbled out of the apartment building. Everything was spinning, and her stomach felt like it was doing cartwheels. And there were all these Goddamned tears that were making a mess of her face and turning everything blurry. She weaved down the street through the cold, wet November air. Her mind seemed to be stuttering, as if someone were constantly hitting the pause button on a movie. One moment thoughts and emotions were crashing around tempestuously. The next, blankness.</p>
<p>Some part of her brain recognized that it wasn't safe for a teenage drunk girl to be out at night stumbling home. She turned into an alley, tripping and hopping forward until she was ensconced in darkness. Distantly, she thought she heard someone shouting her name. She needed to get out of here.</p>
<p>"Marinette," I'm so sorry-" Tikki began.</p>
<p>"Spots on," she whispered. The pink glow was still fading when she yoyoed to the roof. the transformation had done nothing to attenuate her inebriation. She staggered across the rooftop. She was sure now that Adrien was the one shouting after her. She couldn't see him. Certainly not now that she'd transformed. She threw out her yoyo as far as it would go and let herself be tugged away. She didn't know how long or how far it would take her. She only cared that she get away.</p>
<p>The next thing she knew, she was falling into another alley. A pile of refuse broke her fall, but the jolt was one abuse too many for her stomach. She turned and wretched to the side. Her stomach continued to heave its contents, pizza and alcohol and bile all flowing out in a chunky, smelly torrent.</p>
<p>Head hanging down, puke dripping from her mouth, she moaned in abject misery. </p>
<p>After a few minutes, she managed to pick herself up and zip away. Her head felt a little clearer, even though her stomach was starting to ache. Somehow she made it back to her terrace, sliding in through the window and collapsing in a heap.</p>
<p>"Spots off."</p>
<p>"Marinette," Tikki whispered. "You should go clean yourself up." </p>
<p>But Marinette didn’t have the energy to do anything other than lay there. Tikki comforted her in the only way she knew how – by nuzzling her cheek. Some time later – she knew not how much – the window above her opened.</p>
<p>"Princess?"</p>
<p>"Cuh - Cat?" She was both relieved and horrified. </p>
<p>She didn't want him seeing her like this. Smelly and dirty and her face looking like an extra in a horror show.</p>
<p>"I'm not feeling well," she said. "Please, don't come in."</p>
<p>He landed next to her on the bed. He then leapt down to the ground and disappeared for a couple of minutes before returning with a damp cloth. He scurried back up next to her and began to wipe her down.</p>
<p>"What - what are you doing?" she asked faintly. She tried to pull the cloth from him, but there was no contest in strength.</p>
<p>"Shh," he said. "I'm just cleaning you up a bit."</p>
<p>"I don't want you to see me like this."</p>
<p>He paused for a moment before resuming his ministrations. "Too bad. You're stuck with me."</p>
<p>She snorted and then let out a little giggle. "My emotions - they're all over the place. Is this what drinking does to you?"</p>
<p>"Sometimes," he replied.</p>
<p>"You sound like you're an expert."</p>
<p>"I've had my share of escapades." He finished wiping her face and arms. "You should get some water. You'll probably want to wash your mouth out."</p>
<p>"Too spinny."</p>
<p>He gathered her up and leapt down to the chaise where he deposited her. "Can you sit up?"</p>
<p>She nodded, but let her head loll back.</p>
<p>He dashed off to the bathroom once more. When he came back, he was handing her a cup of water and a toothbrush with toothpaste on it. She took it and brushed her mouth out as best she could before spitting it back in the cup. A moment later, she had a fresh cup with clean water and was guzzling it down.</p>
<p>"Better?"</p>
<p>She nodded. He sat down next to her and held her. She let out a contented little sigh.</p>
<p>"I don't know what I would do without you," she said.</p>
<p>"What happened?"</p>
<p>She shook her head. "Nothing. Nothing important."</p>
<p>"You always do that." His voice was soft and gentle. "You always act like what you're feeling shouldn't matter to the people around you. It does."</p>
<p>"It's not that," she said. "It's just-" How could she put into words how she felt? Her emotions weren't any less valid than anyone else's. Except that she was Ladybug, and Ladybug couldn't have emotions. Ladybug couldn't let anything get in her way. Paris was depending on her. The world was depending on her, even if they didn't know it.</p>
<p>She snuggled up against him, pressing as much of herself against him as possible. She reached one hand up and stroked his neck, his jaw, his cheeks. "I wonder sometimes if Hawk Moth sets out to engineer misery. Or maybe we're just so good at being miserable already."</p>
<p>"You're beautiful," he said. "You're kind and brave and full of compassion. Marinette, you're the most amazing girl I've ever met."</p>
<p>"That's not true. What about Ladybug?"</p>
<p>"You're more amazing than even her."</p>
<p>"You're just saying that."</p>
<p>"I'm not," he insisted. "I'm the luckiest cat in the whole world. To think, you were here under my whiskers this whole time, and I never knew it. Sometimes, I think, what if circumstances were just a little different. What if I never found you? It would be the worst thing in the whole world, not to have found you."</p>
<p>She'd felt too many emotions already that evening, and now they were all fused together into one indistinguishable pulp inside her own head. So when she started crying, she didn't know if they were tears of sorrow or tears of joy. "I'm sick of crying," she said as Cat wiped each tear away. "It's like, the harder I try to be strong, the harder I shatter when I'm hit."</p>
<p>"I'll be here to put you back together again."</p>
<p>She nestled her head on his shoulder. "Don't leave me, Cat. Don't ever leave me."</p>
<p>"I won't."</p>
<p>slowly, inexorably, she drifted off to sleep in his arms.</p>
<p>#</p>
<p>Kagami watched the door swing shut from Adrien's rapid departure. The sound of him still shouting her name as he pounded down the hall echoed faintly in the silence.</p>
<p>"That could've gone better," Nino muttered.</p>
<p>Alya exhaled. "Guys, I'm really sorry."</p>
<p>"I think Marinette's the one you should be apologizing too," replied Nino. "But not right now. Let Adrien play the role of knight in shining armor. We'll talk to her tomorrow." He then turned to Kagami. "How about you? Are you okay?"</p>
<p>"Fine," she said stiffly. "I should go."</p>
<p>She grabbed her things and texted her driver. It wasn't until she was safely being driven home that she began to shake. Watching that video had been painful, but it was nothing compared to the excruciating feeling of watching Adrien tear after another girl. He didn't even look in her direction to check to see how she was feeling before he was out the door. It was just like that day with the akuma. The conclusion was clear. He loved Marinette. He probably loved her more than he loved Kagami.</p>
<p>Her fingers seemed to move of their own accord, pulling out her phone, tapping her way to her message app. Lila, I need to see you.</p>
<p>she didn't care what time it was. She didn't care if she was a drunk mess. She needed a friend. A real friend. Someone she could talk to about Adrien. And Marinette. Ironic that that person turned out to be Lila. To think, there'd been a time when she loathed the girl.</p>
<p>"Come over, was the quick response.</p>
<p>"Driver," Kagami said, her voice assuming the tone of command she had been taught to use with her lessers. She rattled off Lila's address.</p>
<p>Within minutes, she was pulling up to the apartment block. Lila was already there and waiting. She climbed into the car.</p>
<p>"A little late, isn't it?"</p>
<p>"I needed to talk."</p>
<p>"Let me guess," Lila said knowingly. "Adrien."</p>
<p>"And Marinette." Kagami looked away. "You were right, Lila, and I was wrong. Marinette still loves Adrien, and Adrien loves Marinette. So long as she is in his life, he will never truly love me."</p>
<p>Lila's gaze softened. She leaned in and gave Kagami a hug. "I'm sorry, Kagami. I know how you feel. I felt the same way. You see, I realized this some time ago, and I had to go through my own grieving process."</p>
<p>"Is that why you...," she trailed off, unable to say the accusation aloud.</p>
<p>"I don't want to talk about that," said Lila mournfully. "It was a dark time in my life." She looked up to Kagami again, her hair falling in a curtain to obscure part of her face. "But my reasoning still stands. Unless you knock Marinette from her pedestal, you will never have Adrien."</p>
<p>"I... cannot do that," said Kagami. "Marinette, despite everything, is a friend."</p>
<p>"All's fair in love and war," replied Lila. "Besides, I think you're missing the obvious solution."</p>
<p>Kagami frowned. "What solution is that?"</p>
<p>"Get Marinette akumatized," said Lila. "And then rescue Adrien from her. It'll be a win-win situation. Marinette won't seem so perfect anymore, and you'll get to play the hero."</p>
<p>Kagami's gaze sharpened. "That would be a terrible thing to do to a friend." yet she also didn't feel outrage at the idea either. She waited for Lila to give the only logical response.</p>
<p>"Lots of people have been akumatized," said Lila. "Some people find it exciting. I've been akumatized twice, and so have you. You know there's no long lasting damage. Except to one's pride."</p>
<p>"She will not forgive me."</p>
<p>"She doesn't have to know it's you."</p>
<p>Kagami hesitated. Nothing Lila said was wrong. It would not hurt Marinette in the long run, and they could still be friends after. Kagami deserved a chance to shine too, didn't she? But she could never do so as long as Marinette was around. She tried not to examine that thought too much and instead focused on imagining herself pulling Adrien to safety. She imagined herself running toward the akuma, Adrien chasing after her. She wanted it to be real so badly she could taste it. She was the fighter. She was a Tsurugi, and Tsurugis never suffered defeat.</p>
<p>"I rarely am ever with Adrien and Marinette at the same time," Kagami said. She wasn't sure if she was saying it to agree with Lila or disagree with her.</p>
<p>"That's easily arranged," Lila replied. "You and Adrien are already attending the mayor's Christmas ball. I need you to make sure that both I and Marinette attend. That’s all you have to do.”</p>
<p>“I don’t know if I have enough clout to convince Mayor Bourgeois to give out an invitation.”</p>
<p>“You may not,” Lila said smoothly, “but you know who does.”</p>
<p>“Adrien,” Kagami answered softly. The next words seemed to bubble out without conscious control. “He must never find out.”</p>
<p>“Don’t you worry about a thing, friend.” Lila leaned over and put a supportive hand on her shoulder. “I’ll take care of everything. No one will have any reason to think you’re involved. Your only crime will be wanting to include your friends in the celebration. Think about it, friend. Adrien will finally see you as the hero you are.”</p>
<p>Kagami squared her shoulders. “I will not hesitate.”</p>
<p>"Excellent." Lila rubbed her hands together in a gesture of anticipation. "You'll see, Kagami. The ball is going to be a night to remember, and if I’m not mistaken, yours, Marinette’s and Adrien’s relationship will be changed… for good.”</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0007"><h2>7. Chapter 7</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Cat Noir raced Ladybug up the side of the Eiffel Tower.</p>
<p>"No fair," he complained as he reached the top half a second behind her. "That yoyo gives you an unfair advantage."</p>
<p>"And here I thought for sure you were going to tell me that you let me win."</p>
<p>"Oh well that too." With a flourish, he presented her with a thermos of hot chocolate. "And of course, I had to protect my lady's beverage."</p>
<p>"Thanks, Cat."</p>
<p>He pulled out his own thermos of coffee and stood alongside her, looking out at the city below.</p>
<p>"How are you doing these days, kitty?"</p>
<p>"Not well," he admitted.</p>
<p>"Oh? Personal or professional?"</p>
<p>"Both." He glanced sideways at her to see her gaze firmly fixed ahead. "I've sort of mixed personal and professional... and some other things."</p>
<p>"Do tell."</p>
<p>He exhaled, the cool night air sucking the warmth away as if it'd never been. "You're going to be angry with me."</p>
<p>"I doubt it."</p>
<p>"You'll think less of me," he went on.</p>
<p>"Probably."</p>
<p>Better just bite the bullet, he thought. "I'm dating two girls."</p>
<p>"Only two?" The teasing in her voice was painful, as if she'd expected him to do this sort of thing.</p>
<p>"Yes, only two. Marinette and someone else." He waited for her to say something, but she merely sipped on her hot chocolate. "I feel like I'm being torn in two. Marinette knows me as Cat Noir, but the other knows me in my civilian life."</p>
<p>"Ah," she said delicately. "I understand."</p>
<p>"You do?" He couldn't mask the hope in his voice.</p>
<p>"Of course." She turned and smiled gently at him. “In a way, we’re each two people. This double-life is a burden for me too. Perhaps if I had ever found someone in my persona as Ladybug, I too might have ended up in a situation like yours.”</p>
<p>He looked away. "But you didn’t."</p>
<p>"I didn’t,” she confirmed. “But you know there was someone who occupied my heart in my civilian life. There had never been room for another.”</p>
<p>He wasn’t sure why it still mattered, or why he needed to know, but he went ahead and asked anyway. “Do you still love him?”</p>
<p>“I think I always will.” She glanced out at the spattering of lights of the city. “He was my first love, after all. But to answer your question, I’ve moved on… and, well, I guess you could say I’ve changed targets.”</p>
<p>It hurt, hearing that she never even considered him as an option, but it was an old hurt, more comforting than painful at this point. “I want to unmask to Marinette.”</p>
<p>“Oh? Hmm.”</p>
<p>Ladybug’s response wasn’t a no, but it wasn’t a yes, either. He took a deep breath and decided to bite the bullet. “You’re the guardian now, so the way I see it, you make the rules, LB. You can decide whether it’s okay for me to disclose or not okay. But if you decide it’s not okay, just know that I’m going to be surrendering my miraculous.”</p>
<p>He studied her to see what effect his words would have. Was she… blushing? Surely not. It must have just been the wind on her cheeks. Yet there remained that little smile, which, if he didn’t know better, seemed almost secretive.</p>
<p>"What of the other girl, then?"</p>
<p>"I don't love her," he said slowly. Kagami was a wonderful person, and he cherished their relationship. He didn’t want to hurt her, but the reality was that he had to put a stop to the lying and the cheating. It’d never been okay, no matter how many excuses he made to himself.</p>
<p>"But you love Marinette?"</p>
<p>"I do."</p>
<p>"I won't question her trustworthiness. I remember her well, and I trust your judgment."</p>
<p>"So it's okay?" He dared to hope.</p>
<p>"Yes, but there is a condition," she warned. "If she is ever akumatized, or if you ever believe that she has told someone else of your identity, then you must relinquish your miraculous immediately."</p>
<p>"I... understand."</p>
<p>"I really don't want to have to fight you for it, Cat. Promise me."</p>
<p>He thought of the emotional mess Marinette had been when he'd seen her last. He could only hope that most of that had been the alcohol. Knowing his secret would be a burden, but he was certain they could weather it together. Assuming she wanted anything to do with him after she found out his identity. But that was her decision. He just had to man up and give her the chance to make it.</p>
<p>“Cat, Promise me.”</p>
<p>“I promise.”</p>
<p>“If you have doubts,” she warned.</p>
<p>“No,” he said quickly. He needed to do this. For himself as much as for her. The secrets had to end.</p>
<p>He imagined what life might be like with Marinette outside the mask. She made him feel comfortable and happy and safe, and she was so full of vitality and passion that the very thought of her excited him. Every minute without her was another minute not worth living. And she was so brilliant as a fashion designer that even his father liked her. If that weren’t miraculous, then he didn’t know what was.</p>
<p>Ladybug's amused voice cut through his thoughts. "I seriously hope that it was thoughts of Marinette who was causing you to have such a lovesick expression on your face."</p>
<p>A month ago, he would’ve been uncomfortable being teased like this, but now, he welcomed it, embraced it even. He wasn’t going to be ashamed for having found love. “Yeah, it was.” </p>
<p>He was going to tell her. But first, he needed to break up with Kagami. He couldn’t disclose his identity and have that still between them. But Kagami had been very keen on attending the mayor’s ball, and had even pushed to have Marinette there. He didn’t want to ruin that for her. For either of them. It would just be one more lie. After, he decided. He would break up with Kagami after the ball, and then he could tell Marinette.</p>
<p>"Before you go," she said, "I want to let you know that I'm going to be a little late to the next few akuma attacks."</p>
<p>"How late?" he asked warily. "And why?"</p>
<p>"About thirty minutes. More if there are more mundane reasons holding me back."</p>
<p>She didn't volunteer anymore information. He wanted to press for more, but something held him back. He'd yearned to be her partner in every sense of the word, but ever since the battle with Miracle Queen, he felt as though a divide had been slowly forming between them. He didn't know if it were his relationship with Kagami, his relationship with Marinette, Ladybug’s role now as guardian of the miraculous, or something else, or some combination of all of the above, but it was there. And so, instead of pressing, he nodded and said his farewell, and left.</p>
<p>#</p>
<p>"Atten hut!" Wayzz cried.</p>
<p>Thirteen other kwamis floated to attention, arraying themselves in a set of two rows. Wayzz surveyed them critically before turning around and proclaiming, "Admiral Marinette, the kwami air defense fleet is now ready for deployment."</p>
<p>"At ease, Commodore Wayzz," she said. "This will be a quick debrief before we head out." She surveyed the attentive kwamis. "Today is the first day we take the fight to Hawk Moth."</p>
<p>She pointed to the map on the wall. "Based on our best estimate, Hawk Moth's range appears to be about ten kilometers. You can see here that the akumas are distributed along roughly an arc starting here at Francoise Dupont and extending through the park here, and over to Le Grand Paris. Right now we're operating on the theory that these outliers are the result of Hawk Moth either having relocated temporarily, or some other factor of which we are as of yet unaware." Marinette traced her finger along the trapezoidal shape that had been marked on the map. "This represents the area we believe Hawk Moth may be hiding. This area has been broken down into fifty zones, with each zone consisting of eight hundred sixty-two sectors."</p>
<p>She turned and faced them. "Our goal today is to begin conducting recon missions on these zones. You have all been divided into pairs. You have precisely 4 minutes to scan each sector and return to me with confirmation that a full scan has been completed of the assigned sector. Once everyone has returned and confirmed their assigned sectors are completed, I will use the power of the second chance to reset time, and I will direct you to your next assigned sector."</p>
<p>She looked each kwami in the eye. "Five minutes," she said quietly. "Eight hundred sixty-two resets, conducted fifty times. Once complete, we will have found Hawk Moth. It is vital that you return only after a full scan. We cannot overlook a single space. You must check every nook, every cranny - you must overturn every stone. The fate of Paris, nay our world depends on it."</p>
<p>"What happens if we don't come back within four minutes?" Fluff asked.</p>
<p>"Then on the next reset," Marinette said, "I will send the kwamis en masse to your designated sector to investigate. However, it should not be an issue, as your flight speed and sector size have all been carefully calculated to ensure that you will have ample time to complete your scan. Remember, you do not need to concern yourself with sneaking around the humans. Go in, get the job done and get out. No one will remember anything anyway."</p>
<p>"This is our darkest hour," Wayzz added, "but it will also prove to be our finest. Good luck, and kwami's speed to you all."</p>
<p>"Trixx, let’s pounce! Trixx, Sass, unify!"</p>
<p>#</p>
<p>Marinette activated the power of the second chance as she stood atop one of the buildings at the center of zone one.</p>
<p>"Kwamis! To sectors 1 a through g." She used the power of illusion to mark the designated sectors, which mostly amounted to one house or apartment unit per pair. Each pair had been instructed on how to run a search pattern to maximize efficiency, and were expected to check through walls and beneath basements as well for hidden rooms.</p>
<p>Four minutes later, all kwamis were returned and accounted for, and sector 1 was finished.</p>
<p>"Sector 1 clear," she said, and activated the power of the second chance.</p>
<p>She leapt to the next sector and repeated the process.</p>
<p>"Sector 2 clear! Sector 3 clear! Sector 4 clear!" </p>
<p>ON it went, the sounds of the akuma in the distance replaying over and over again with slight variations in volume as she moved towards and away from it. Occasionally, people down below caught sight of her and pointed, but again, none of it mattered. Sectors were grouped into roughly fifty zones, each zone representing an area that could be reached and scanned within a single reset cycle. After that, Marinette would have to complete the five minutes, de-transform, feed Sass, and then move to another zone to repeat.</p>
<p>"How many times can we do this?" Marinette asked Sass as they hit their sixth zone.</p>
<p>"How many eggs do you have?" Sass asked slyly.</p>
<p>"Thirty-six," she said.</p>
<p>"Three to four eggs is best to fully charge, which takes about two minutes to eat."</p>
<p>"So we're done for the day then," she murmured. "We've been away from the akuma fight for about forty-five minutes."</p>
<p>"The more times we do this, the more Hawk Moth will grow suspicious," Tikki said contemplatively. "It might be better to have one long stretch rather than several medium-length ones."</p>
<p>"Especially if he gets wind that I'm hopping around this area," she said. "Even if we do nothing other than show up here, he'll wonder, and I don't trust that he's not smart enough to guess at what we're doing. He's cautious. Overly so.” If he’d been willing to come out and joined his akumas in battle near the beginning, she suspected she and Cat would’ve lost this fight long ago. All it would’ve taken was waiting for them to use their special powers against the akuma, and then he could’ve dogged them until they de-transformed.</p>
<p>"You need to use the fox miraculous to hide yourself when leaping from zone to zone, and you should always find a spot that is out of sight."</p>
<p>Marinette nodded. "Yes, that makes sense." She did some quick math. "Assuming all goes well, we need about five or so hours, which is too long for a single stretch. If we break it down, maybe twenty akumas. That would be about fifteen minutes delay per akuma."</p>
<p>"Don't forget the search ends once we find him. Not all zones are equal. The first twenty have the highest probability of success. You included the last thirty out of an abundance of caution."</p>
<p>Marinette smiled warmly. "You're always keeping my spirits up, Tikki. Thank you."</p>
<p>Once Sass was finished eating, Marinette unified with Kalki and Tikki and teleported to the akuma.</p>
<p>#</p>
<p>November gave way to December without any fanfare. Christmas lights and other decorations began to appear, and the festive mood swelled in homes, on streets, in the hearts of Parisians. Maybe it was wishful thinking, but Marinette couldn't help but wonder if maybe her small victories against the akumas had buoyed the spirits of her fellow Parisians. Certainly Hawk Moth's attacks had become lack luster in the days that followed. It was as if he himself had lost heart in the whole affair. Part of her rejoiced, but part of her feared that it was a sign of a prelude to a new, more dangerous attack. One as deadly as Miracle Queen. One that might succeed.</p>
<p>Not when I'm so close, she thought as she continued to work on her new dress. Amazingly, and a little suspiciously, she had received an invite from Chloé to attend the mayor's ball. Chloé and her were anything but friends, and she'd never received one before. The only reason she even considered it was because Kagami had personally asked her to come, and even though they hadn’t even remotely dealt with the fallout from Nino’s birthday, Marinette found she just couldn’t say no to one of her few remaining friends.</p>
<p>She'd talked it over with her parents, her kwamis, her friends, and with Cat Noir. The consensus was that Marinette had achieved sufficient celebrity status to warrant the invite given her akuma fights and her status as Cat Noir's official girlfriend. Perhaps the whole thing was a ploy to get Cat Noir there. Who knew. She'd certainly tried to get him to show up, but he'd refused outright and in a tone that made it clear there would be no changing his mind. It made her wonder if he was already attending, but she shoved that thought out of her mind. She didn't want to be entertaining any thoughts that might give away his identity.</p>
<p>She paused in her work on her dress to look off into space and sigh. But "Is he really going to tell me who he is?"</p>
<p>"I don't know," said Tikki.</p>
<p>"It's been two weeks since he told Ladybug he would." She resumed sewing together the hem. "Now I wish he hadn't said anything. It's driving me bonkers. Did he change his mind? Is he waiting for the right moment? And I can't even ask him, because that would telegraph that I knew somehow he was planning to do it."</p>
<p>She sat back from the sewing machine and ran her fingers through her hair. "Help me out here, Tikki. Hit me with your ancient wisdom."</p>
<p>"To be honest, Marinette, I'm more concerned about operation Miracle Storm. We've gone through thirty zones, and still no Hawk Moth." Tikki floated over to the map, where each zone was marked. Post it notes and color-coded marks of all kinds dotted the laminate cover of the map. "We're missing something here."</p>
<p>Marinette wandered over and peered at the map alongside her kwami friend. Quietly she said, "I'm concerned we might have to revisit the places that Barkk and Mullo investigated. They didn't strike me as the sharpest tools in the shed."</p>
<p>"They're thousands of years old," Tikki whispered back. "I'm sure it's not like that."</p>
<p>"Maybe Hawk Moth's lair is better hidden than we anticipated," Marinette said in a more normal voice. "Can Hawk Moth maybe hide his lair in - I don't know - a pocket dimension or something?"</p>
<p>"Not by any power known to me. At least none in the possession of either Nooroo or Duusu." Tikki stroked her chin thoughtfully. "We have assumed that Hawk Moth can only keep an akuma active if he is transformed. But maybe that is not the case. Though I am certain he would prefer to remain transformed for the duration of the akuma attack, as he would not be able to communicate or control the akuma without the enhanced powers afforded to him as a result of the transformation."</p>
<p>"Maybe we should be looking for Nooroo instead," Marinette mused. "I know we discarded it, because Hawk Moth can order Nooroo to remain hidden-"</p>
<p>"Or dormant," said Tikki. "That's not a good idea, and in any case, we would obviously tell you if we found Nooroo also. Having to search each building so thoroughly so as to find Nooroo would make it a hundred times longer to find Hawk Moth. Let's save it as an option for last resort."</p>
<p>"Could Hawk Moth be farther away?" This was another thought that had plagued her. Maybe they were completely wasting their time. "Maybe the akumas are arriving in this vicinity because that is where me and Cat Noir are located."</p>
<p>Tikki shook her head. "That cannot be the case. I would have heard of it if Nooroo's champions were somehow linked to the location of my miraculous."</p>
<p>"But maybe Hawk Moth has found a way to do that?" Marinette shook her head.</p>
<p>Tikki floated up to the map and pointed at a small green space on the map. "What zone is this, Marinette?"</p>
<p>"That's not a zone," said Marinette. "That's the Agreste estate."</p>
<p>Tikki frowned. "I don’t recall investigating it."</p>
<p>"No," Marinette said after a moment. "I didn't bother with the Agreste estate. I didn’t think there was any point, since we know it can't be anyone there. The only persons on that estate are Adrien and his father. And Adrien isn't Hawk Moth. Nor is his father, since he was akumatized as the Collector."</p>
<p>"He was the one with the book, Marinette," said Tikki reproachfully. "And he's in the first twenty zones."</p>
<p>"But he was akumatized."</p>
<p>Tikki floated up to Marinette. "There could be someone else there who is Hawk Moth. Someone using his property without the Agrestes knowing. Or it could be that Gabriel Agreste is colluding with Hawk Moth for some reason. I'm sorry, Marinette, but we need to investigate it."</p>
<p>"You're right, Tikki. We'll do it the next time we go out. It's foolish of me to not scan Agreste manor just because I don't want Hawk Moth to be there."</p>
<p>"thank you, Marinette. For what it's worth, I do hope that Hawk Moth is not located there, and that it is not Adrien's father."</p>
<p>Marinette smiled and returned to her dress, as the ball was only two days away. Yet her mind kept drifting back to Agreste manor, and her few memories of Adrien's father. Cold and distant. If she tried to imagine what kind of person Hawk Moth was as a civilian, Gabriel Agreste would fit the bill. But if he were Hawk Moth, that would mean that he had akumatized himself, a feat that seemed like it should've been impossible.</p>
<p>But then again, another voice whispered inside her mind, that had happened right when the spell book had gone missing. If he were Hawk Moth, he would have had reason to fear that the missing book may have drawn suspicion to him. Marinette shuddered as a cold feeling slowly stole over her. She did not know for how long she stared at her finished hemline, not seeing it. Not seeing anything other than Adrien's warm and caring green eyes, and the devastation and betrayal that would bleed into them if it came to be discovered that his father were the dreaded supervillain.</p>
<p>"Princess?"</p>
<p>Marinette jolted to attention. "Cat? What are you doing here?"</p>
<p>She looked around. Everything seemed to be normal and in its place, except for the giant cat that was standing two feet away.</p>
<p>"Just came to see how my favorite princess has been doing," he said.</p>
<p>She slid out of the chair and gave him a hug. "Better now that my kitty's here."</p>
<p>"That's what I like to hear," he said. He hugged her back.</p>
<p>The feel of his warm body pressed against hers instantly made her gooey inside. "Not that I'm not happy to see you, but was there a reason you dropped by?"</p>
<p>"No reason other than to give you a hug and a kiss. And, of course-" He reached over and pulled out a box of chocolates. "Just something to remember your sweet kitty by."</p>
<p>She gooified a little more. "That's so sweet of you. I'll be sure to think of you while I'm nibbling on them."</p>
<p>"I'm suddenly jealous of a box of chocolates." He reached up and flicked a lock of hair with his claw before his gaze was drawn to something behind her. "Oh my." He grabbed her by the hips, lifted her into the air and set her to one side.</p>
<p>"Eep! Cat!" she exclaimed.</p>
<p>But he was already drifting over to her worktable. With the utmost care, he delicately lifted up one edge of her dress.</p>
<p>"Do I have competition," he asked, puzzled.</p>
<p>"It's my dress," she said, "for the mayor's ball."</p>
<p>She started to blush once more at the strange look in his eyes, yet there was no feeling of embarrassment.</p>
<p>"It's my colors," he said. "And it's leather."</p>
<p>"Yes," she said happily, bouncing over and picking it up carefully to show him. "It took a lot of work matching colors. I didn't want it to look off if we were ever standing next to one another. And look  here, these curves here are the same angle as the pawprint on your ring. And these  lines here have the same look as your claws. I wasn't sure if I wanted to do a black dress with green accents, but decided to go with a green dress with black embroidery instead. I thought it would look less weird if we're together, and besides, green is a Christmas color, and this is meant to be worn at a Christmas party." She began to feel a little more self-conscious as he continued to stare. She went on more shyly, "I know you can't be there with me, but this is going to let everyone know that I'm your girl. And... I'll feel like you're there with me in spirit even if you can't actually be there. Cat, what is it? Why are you looking at me like that?"</p>
<p>"You're just so incredible," he whispered. He stepped forward and collected her in his arms. "How could I have never seen it before?"</p>
<p>She hastily put the dress aside and let herself be collected. "If I knew I was going to get this reaction, I'd make myself clothes more often."</p>
<p>He leaned down and kissed her. Slowly and gently at first, and then with more passion. Higher brain function ceased as every nerve ending lit up with his touch. When they both separated for air, Cat pulled back even further. Disappointment flooded her, as she sensed the tell-tale moment when he would leave.</p>
<p>"Don't go," she blurted. She couldn't meet his gaze, instead looking down at his shoes. She hated how needy her own voice sounded.</p>
<p>"I want to stay," he said. "I'm going to stay, Marinette. I love you. There's just... some things I have to take care of first."</p>
<p>She knew that in her head. Yet in her heart, she was so tired of waiting. She wanted to crawl all over him and kiss him and hold him and never let him go. To peel back the layers of his suit and trail her fingers over his bare skin. To lose those last barriers that separated them. To know that he was hers as much as she was his. "When? I've been waiting, Cat." She couldn't stop the words from coming out, even though she knew that, in a way, it wasn't fair. He'd never promised her anything. It was her own damn fault for falling in love. It was her own damn fault for having been Ladybug, for having heard him confess that he would tell Marinette his identity.</p>
<p>She got hold of her emotions and went on, "I'm sorry. It's okay. I shouldn't push. You never promised me anything." She looked up to lock gazes with his. "I just...." She shook herself. "Go on, chaton."</p>
<p>"Don't be angry with me, Marinette," he said, taking a step forward.</p>
<p>"I'm not angry with you," she said. She stepped toward him and reached up to run her fingers through his hair. "I'm just a teenage girl who's full of stupid feelings."</p>
<p>"Don't think you're alone there. I'm a teenage boy who's also full of stupid feelings." He clasped her hand in his and squeezed gently. "I'm sorry I'm asking for more time. Please. A few days. Perhaps a month."</p>
<p>Her heart soared at even that vague promise.</p>
<p>#</p>
<p>The day of the ball dawned bright and clear. An inch of fresh snow covered the ground, and the weather had turned cool enough that it didn't transform into slush, but rather shimmered like diamonds under the evening lamplight. There'd been no akumas since her talk with Tikki - something which made Marinette uneasy.</p>
<p>She had laid down a challenge to Hawk Moth that day when she defeated Chloé, and since then, the akuma attacks had seemed perfunctory at best. That coupled with the fact that she was consistently showing up late to the akuma attacks made her wonder what Hawk Moth was thinking, and whether he was planning a new kind of attack. And of course, there was the Christmas ball - a perfect breeding ground for another akuma. Or possibly something else. After all, he knew Marinette would be there. That she would be stuck in a crowd of stuffy upper crust Parisians. In a way, she would be more vulnerable there than at home or at school.</p>
<p>"Maybe I shouldn't go," she said as Tikki helped her fit into her dress.</p>
<p>"But you look so beautiful," replied Tikki. "And I never noticed, but that color of green is very nice with your eyes."</p>
<p>"But if Hawk Moth attacks-"</p>
<p>"Then we'll deal with it as we deal with any other attack," said Tikki. "I'm anxious too, but we can't live our lives in fear of the unknown. And unless we have actual evidence that Hawk Moth is planning something, we shouldn't let fear dictate our actions."</p>
<p>"I can't help it," Marinette mumbled. "I wish we'd at least checked out Agreste manor. I feel so stupid. I've barely been able to stop thinking about it. It's been stoking my nerves all week. The very idea that Gabriel Agreste could be Hawk Moth terrifies me, but the not knowing for sure is even worse."</p>
<p>"Don't let fear of the unknown dictate your actions," Tikki repeated. "Now come on. Let's go show off that dress."</p>
<p>"Marinette!"</p>
<p>Marinette left her bedroom and descended to the first floor. "Yes, Maman!"</p>
<p>"Your ride is here!"</p>
<p>My ride? She glanced at Tikki, who was peeking out of her purse and said, "Maybe it's Cat Noir?"</p>
<p>Suddenly excited, Marinette raced out the front only to stop in her tracks. A familiar limousine was parked out front. Adrien and Kagami were both stepping out.</p>
<p>"Hi, Marinette," Adrien said a little sheepishly.</p>
<p>"Adrien." Her voice sounded flat and emotionless to her own ears. "What - what are you doing here? And you as well, Kagami?"</p>
<p>"Kagami suggested that it might be nice if we picked you up." Adrien glanced at Kagami for assistance.</p>
<p>Other than a brief exchange of texts surrounding the invite to the ball, there’d been no contact between her and them.</p>
<p>"We're still friends, right Marinette?" Kagami asked, stepping forward and extending a hand.</p>
<p>"Right," she said without much enthusiasm. "Of course. Friends."</p>
<p>Her feet moved of their own accord, taking her toward the limo and shunting her into its dark depths.</p>
<p>"Do you have a date?" Adrien asked.</p>
<p>Marinette turned to face him as he sat across from her, Kagami taking the spot next to him.</p>
<p>"No," she replied. "I decided to go by myself."</p>
<p>"What about Cat Noir?" Kagami asked. Marinette would have been upset if the question had come from anyone else, but Kagami seemed genuinely puzzled by his absence.</p>
<p>"He doesn't care for those sorts of functions," Marinette replied. Privately, she was certain he was there in some capacity as a civilian, but she did not want to give voice to that suspicion.</p>
<p>"Alya and Nino are coming," Adrien added.</p>
<p>"Yes," Marinette said, dragging out the word. She couldn't quite help the words that came out next, "Maybe it'll be just like the last time we were all together."</p>
<p>The bitchy, sarcastic sentiment seemed to linger in the air.</p>
<p>"About that," Adrien began.</p>
<p>"No," Marinette cut in quickly. "It's over and done with, Adrien. I-" she looked away to the beautiful, white-capped trees  that scrolled by, "I don't want to hear it. I don't want to talk about it. I just want to forget and move on. It's my own personal issues. Nothing more. Let's talk about something else."</p>
<p>"That's a lovely dress," Kagami said. "Did you make it yourself?"</p>
<p>Marinette nodded. "They're Cat's colors. He took me out on a date to La Tour d'Or, and it got me inspired, I guess." Just thinking about Cat eased the tension in her muscles and the ache in her heart that persisted at seeing Adrien.</p>
<p>Adrien leaned in and peered at her wrist. "That bracelet looks familiar."</p>
<p>Marinette's emotions were transmuted in a flash to mirth. She chuckled. "It's beautiful, isn't it?" She held it up for them both to inspect. "Personally, I don't think it goes well with the dress, but in a way, that makes it so much more poignant. I even heard that it was an heirloom."</p>
<p>"Marinette," Adrien's voice was shocked. "Is that - Chloé's bracelet?"</p>
<p>"Yup. Ladybug returned it to me. Apparently she's not too happy with Chloé Bourgeois and didn't want to drop it off herself."</p>
<p>Kagami's eyes lit up with recognition. "That was the akumatized object when you defeated Plant Queen."</p>
<p>Marinette fiddled with the bracelet and nodded. "I can't wait to see the look on Chloé's face tonight. To be honest, I think half the reason I'm going is just to be a petty bitch to her. Did you know she once lost this very bracelet at school? She had the nerve to accuse me of stealing it, and had bullied her dad into trying to get me arrested."</p>
<p>"It's not really yours," Adrien said, and then hurried to add, "She might cause trouble."</p>
<p>"Let her," said Marinette dismissively. "Let everyone there see what an obnoxious cow she is. I'm tired of taking her shit, Adrien. I'll gladly hand it back to her, and I'll gladly remind everyone there that she joined Hawk Moth."</p>
<p>"She had to go to therapy for months. Marinette, that's not right."</p>
<p>Marinette's gaze zeroed in on him with laser-like focus. "I know she's your friend, Adrien, but face reality. She's still Hawk Moth's stooge. As far as I'm concerned, she'll burn with him. And Mayura too." She looked out the window and quietly added, "Them, and anyone else who willingly joins Hawk Moth."</p>
<p>"You don't know that," he said.</p>
<p>"I do." She continued to look out the window as they pulled up to La Grand Paris. "The Plant Queen attack was a trap designed to learn Ladybug's identity. Only a willing akuma would have had the patience to do that. And not only that, but Chloé kept Sabrina with her through the entire attack for company. If you understood anything about akumas, you would know that it's just not possible for an akuma to behave that way if they were to have been forcibly akumatized. The negative emotions would have been amplified to the point she would have been too erratic for Hawk Moth to control and direct in that manner."</p>
<p>As they exited the car, Marinette couldn't help but reflect that Adrien would almost certainly hate Ladybug once this was all over. If Gabriel Agreste truly were Hawk Moth, then she would not only be destroying his father, but also one of his few friends. She feared to question who Mayura could be, and whether it was someone else in Adrien's life who he trusted.</p>
<p>The soiree was as glamourous as Marinette imagined it to be.  The ballroom oozed money on every front from the decorations, to the lighting, table cloths, and beautifully cut champagne flutes and wine glasses.</p>
<p>"Thank you," Marinette said, taking a glass. She stared warily at the dark red liquid for a moment before taking a sip. She had no Cat Noir here to protect her if something went wrong. She had turned over the night of the Ladyblog anniversary party in her mind. She had not failed to notice Lila's presence. She couldn't help but wonder if maybe Lila had spiked her drink that night. It sounded paranoid even inside her own head, but it was a better explanation than her having a weird reaction to wine.</p>
<p>Regardless, she now had an instinctive unease with wine. Intellectually, she knew it was silly. This was a fancy party with a professionally trained wait staff. No one could spike her drink under these conditions.</p>
<p>Speak of the devil, she thought, spying Lila laughing and chatting with the rest of her cohort. Nino and Alya were there, along with Chloé and Sabrina, and Adrien and Kagami.</p>
<p>All of a sudden, Marinette began to feel foolish having come tonight. Everyone here was paired off. Everyone here was on friendly terms with one another, or didn't care enough to be upset. She was the only one who was a mess. It seemed to strike her all at once. She had a weird relationship with Adrien and Kagami now. Nino and Alya were probably also uncomfortable with her. Lila and Chloé actively hated her. And the only person she felt comfortable with dressed up in a cat costume and fought crime - and she didn't even know what he looked like or what his real name was.</p>
<p>"Can I had picking a fight with a butterfly themed supervillain to that list?" she muttered. "My life is really weird."</p>
<p>"Marinette? Is that you?" The musical, lilting sound of a soprano cut through the din. "I can't believe it's true! And you're so exquisitely dressed! I can't believe it, I'm so impressed!"</p>
<p>Marinette turned and stared blankly for a second. "Clara Nightingale?"</p>
<p>"That is me, as happy as can be!" The singing superstar sensation fluttered over to her and wrapped her in gentle, affectionate arms. "How is my favorite teenage Parisian doing? I am shocked to see you not be the object of a lucky guy's wooing!"</p>
<p>"Hi, Clara. It's so good to see you again. I didn't know you were even in town."</p>
<p>"I was moved to come sing here of your bravery," Clara went on, "in the face of that Hawk Moth's knavery."</p>
<p>"You're singing?"</p>
<p>"Tonight," Clara said, leaning in to whisper, "But do not let such knowledge take flight."</p>
<p>"Got it," Marinette said. "Your secret's safe with me."</p>
<p>"Your kindness, I do know, but now I must go... to prepare for the show!"</p>
<p>Marinette giggled as Clara sauntered away through the crowd. Maybe I am glad I came, she decided. I have to stop being such a downer.</p>
<p>Her gaze drifted to Adrien and Kagami. For perhaps the first time in her life, her smile didn't dim at seeing them. </p>
<p>I have Cat Noir, she thought, and I love him. And he's going to tell me his identity. I can feel it. And then I'll know him and can love him as he deserves. And he can love me as I deserve. And all will be well.</p>
<p>Suddenly, Marinette felt no need to leave her little corner of the ball. She felt no need to throw Chloé's bracelet in her face. She no longer felt alone. The lights dimmed, and Mayor Bourgeois heaved himself onto the stage to deliver a speech so boring, Marinette nearly fell asleep standing up. thankfully, Clara's sweet voice took over quickly.</p>
<p>"Hey bestie!" Alya shouted. Nino trailed behind, smiling, a note of discomfort from their last encounter still present.</p>
<p>"Hi, Alya," Marinette shouted back over the music.</p>
<p>"Come and let's dance!"</p>
<p>Trust Alya to get Marinette moving. She put her empty wine glass down and let Alya lead her to the dance floor. Only a few were on the floor, but that was fine. Marinette was no great dancer, but she loved it nevertheless, even if Nino looked a bit like he was mimicking a chicken.</p>
<p>Somewhere along the way, a slow song came up, and Marinette found herself in Adrien's arms. There was a moment of stupefaction where she nearly tripped over herself, but Adrien seemed to be able to hold her up. A few seconds into the dance, she let him hold her, and they danced in-step - a sort of slow-twirling cuddle. It felt good. And strangely familiar, even though she was sure she'd never hugged Adrien before in her life. Beneath the expensive cologne and the smell of a freshly laundered suit, she thought she detected the strangely familiar scent of leather and spice.</p>
<p>Soon, the song ended, and the lights were brightened for the intermission. Marinette pulled away.</p>
<p>Maybe this would be the last time, she thought, that she ever saw Adrien smile. If Gabriel Agreste were Hawk Moth. She was suddenly glad she hadn't investigated the manor. She didn't want to know. Not yet.</p>
<p>A glance in the direction of the punch bowl told Marinette that Kagami did not look happy.</p>
<p>"Come on," Marinette said. "We should get you back to your date."</p>
<p>"Marinette," Adrien began, but she cut him off by tugging him along forcefully.</p>
<p>She knew from the tone in his voice he was going to bring up something painful, and she wasn't sure she could handle it. The high she felt from Clara and her music was fragile, and she needed to hold it together so she could end the evening on a happy note. She was already resolving to leave. There was no point staying any longer. The rest of the night belonged to couples, and who knew. Maybe Cat Noir would show up. Better to go home and wait and have hope than to stay here.</p>
<p>"Thank you for the dance," Marinette said loudly as she formed a three-way conversation with Kagami. "I'm a little tired though, so I'm just taking this moment to say good-bye... to both of you."</p>
<p>Marinette looked into Kagami's eyes, hoping to communicate through will alone that she was stepping away from them for good. That she would not let herself get in their way. Whether Kagami got the message, however, Marinette would never find out.</p>
<p>"Well, don't you three look beautiful! And happy!" Lila sauntered up to them, inserting herself into their group. She leaned on Adrien and leaned up to give him a kiss on the cheek.</p>
<p>"Where's my dance, lover?" Her fingers seemed to be all over him, but not actually grabbing anything. She interlaced one hand into his and refused to let go.</p>
<p>"Lila," Adrien said, frowning. "I think maybe you've had too much to drink."</p>
<p>"Don't be ridiculous," she cried, lifting one foot up so that she leaned her weight on him, forcing him to remain in place lest he let her fall. "I'm drunk off life. You know, I have to thank you, Adrien. It’s because of your exemplary moral fiber that I’ve learned to be a more honest and open person.” She glanced at Marinette, a vulpine grin on her lips. "I’m sure Marinette really appreciates hearing that, being she’s such a goody two shoes and all.”</p>
<p>Adrien pushed her away and took a step back, forcibly extricating his hand from hers. "That's enough. What's gotten into-" He stopped and stared, suddenly frozen as if struck by an akuma, as Lila held up his ring, now clutched between her thumb and forefinger.</p>
<p>“What’s the matter, Adrikins? Or should I say, Cat Noir?”</p>
<p>"Lila, no," Adrien said in a strangled voice. But it was too late. His silver ring, still held aloft, shimmered and turned black save for a green paw print that glowed eerily in the low light. </p>
<p>“Hey, Marinette,” Lila went on, “Last year you didn’t like it when I lied. This year I’m telling the truth. How do you like that?</p>
<p>Adrien tried to snatch the ring back, but Lila danced backward, tucking the ring inside her bra before dashing away.</p>
<p>#</p>
<p>Some truths, Marinette was discovering, altered reality.</p>
<p>Adrien was Cat Noir.</p>
<p>How can four words destroy me? she wondered as she watched Adrien chase after Lila. As she watched Kagami stare wide-eyed, unmoving, her lips fixed into a little o of realization.</p>
<p>Memories seemed to rewrite themselves in her brain. Events, words, people and places - they all were reshaped as this new reality seemed to work its way through her like an infection.</p>
<p>Adrien was Cat Noir. Cat Noir, who she'd kissed. Cat Noir, who she'd cried to and held. Cat Noir. who had a girlfriend in his civilian life. Oh, God, Kagami.</p>
<p>What was that rushing feeling? Was her skin too hot? Was she crying or bleeding or breaking? Was she even breathing anymore?</p>
<p>"Well Kagami? I don't think we finished talking about the truth, isn't that right?" Lila was back and had an arm thrown around her shoulder. Something in Lila's tone meant something to Kagami, because her eyes widened with horrified understanding.</p>
<p>"Lila, no!"</p>
<p>"Aren't you going to thank me?" Lila continued gleefully. She grabbed Kagami by the chin and forced her to look at Marinette. "You wanted me to knock little miss perfect off her high fucking horse, didn't you? You wanted me to get her akumatized, didn't you? Didn't you!"</p>
<p>Tears began to drip from Kagami's frozen expression as she stared at Marinette.</p>
<p>This new truth seemed to be the last straw. Marinette sank to the ground.</p>
<p>This can't be happening, she thought distantly. Her whole body was tingling with something. This has to be a nightmare. An akuma-induced nightmare. Nothing else makes sense.</p>
<p>Kagami turned blurry. The fancy decorations turned blurry. The only thing that Marinette registered was Kagami's breathy apologies stuttering in repeat, and Lila's  cackling laughter.</p>
<p>"You were right, Marinette! Telling truths is so much better than telling lies!"</p>
<p>Is the world ending, or is it just me?</p>
<p>Overhead, unseen by Marinette, a butterfly began to circle.</p>
<p>#</p>
<p>Lila barely made it ten paces before Adrien caught up to her. She hadn’t even been trying to go for the exit, so why she thought she could get away with stealing his ring, he had no clue.</p>
<p>“Give it back!” he shouted, tackling her from behind.</p>
<p>She screamed and kicked and flailed, but it was no use. She was weaker and had no combat training, whereas he had years under his belt.</p>
<p>“This is your last warning!” he shouted. “Or I’ll take it by force!” He really didn’t want to do that, but was already bracing himself for it.</p>
<p>“HELP! I’M BEING SEXUALLY ASSAULTED!”</p>
<p>In a split-second, he realized that she hadn’t been running to the exit but rather to the nearest security guard. A hand came down on his shoulder and ripped him away.</p>
<p>“Wait!” Adrien shouted, but the guard was already kicking his legs out from under him. “She stole something! She’s a thief!”</p>
<p>He needed to chase her down before she escaped, but as he tracked her with his gaze, he realized she’d double-backed and was now talking to his two girlfriends. Talking to his two girlfriends. His two girlfriends. Fuck. This was not how this was supposed to go.</p>
<p>The security guard was busy talking into his radio. There wasn’t time for this. He grabbed the guard’s  hand and wrenched it aside, twisting until he heard the guard cry out. He was on his feet in a second, punching the guard in the jaw hard enough to spin him around.</p>
<p>Lila was almost to the back exit. He sprinted after her, passing Kagami, who was standing protectively over Marinette, her arm raised high into the air in an unusual gesture, like she was holding up a jewel for the world to see. He had no time to puzzle over the tableau. He needed that ring back no matter what.</p>
<p>He burst through the double doors only to find himself in a long hall. Lila was at the other end screaming and waving at something.</p>
<p>“Get away from me, you ugly flying bugmouse! How dare you! No! Give it back! Give it back! No, damn you!”</p>
<p>Had Lila gone insane? Adrien approached cautiously. Lila had a wild, unhinged look in her eyes. </p>
<p>“I was so close. So fucking close!” She looked up and locked gazes with him. On instinct, he took a step back. She’d lost all vestiges of calculation, leaving only raw, naked avarice. But then the expression morphed again as the doors behind them were blown wide open. A figure appeared, dressed in black save for a purple starburst pattern across her torso.</p>
<p>“I am Masamune,” she declared.</p>
<p>The moment her gaze fell on Lila, a sword materialized in her gloved hand.</p>
<p>“My ring,” Adrien whispered, holding out his hand. “Lila, now!”</p>
<p>But instead of handing it over, she kicked off her heels and ran barefoot down another hallway. A sword cut through the air and embedded itself six inches in the wall where she’d just stood.</p>
<p>Without another thought, he sprinted after her. He needed that ring.</p>
<p>#</p>
<p>She has Cat Noir’s ring, Marinette thought clinically as Lila raced past her, Adrien in hot pursuit.</p>
<p>She needed to get up, needed to move, needed to do something. But then again, where did Lila expect to run to? It wasn’t as though she didn’t know where the ring was. It was only a problem if an akuma showed up… oh right. Of course an akuma was going to show up. She must have been a beacon to Hawk Moth. She needed to get her emotions under control. She needed to do better, be better. She couldn’t be akumatized. Couldn’t feel.</p>
<p>How much of herself had she invested in Cat Noir? She wondered. How much had she invested in a lie? A fantasy? A dream?</p>
<p>Don’t think about that. She needed to… what did she need to be again? Ladybug? A hero? A sacrifice?</p>
<p>A shadow fell over her, pulling her from her thoughts. The sound of her own blood pounding in her ears receded revealing the pandemonium slowly erupting around her.</p>
<p>Marinette looked up. Kagami was hovering over her, her form silhouetted by the halogens high overhead, her pearl-hued dress twinkling like stars as she lifted her hands as if in supplication to a dark God. From high above, the wings of an akuma beat like the tolling of a bell as it descended. Down, down it came for her, only to be intercepted by Kagami’s deceptively slender wrists.</p>
<p>Veins of dark purple snaked up her arms, inking themselves onto her skin. She looked down at Marinette and mouthed, “I’m sorry, before indigo light bubbled over her.</p>
<p>“Nothing like an akuma to get this party started!” While everyone else was screaming and rampaging around, swirling toward the exits like water down a drain, Alya was stomping toward her, Nino in tow, camera being fumbled out of her purse. “Girl, don’t tell me you and Kagami got into a fight over Adrien again?”</p>
<p>Marinette shifted her gaze to her best friend, who stood over her, tapping away on her phone. “Sorry, let me just get this post up. We gotta let Ladybug and Cat Noir know there’s an akuma happening here at Le Grand. You gonna come this time and watch? Kagami’s a wicked dangerous akuma. She’s one of the few to give Ladybug a real challenge. And their fights are always so up close and, I don’t know, visceral. Like gladiators dueling to the death. Come on, it’ll be fun.”</p>
<p>Marinette stared blankly for long seconds at Alya. “No.” The word seemed to be dragged out of her. “No, Alya. You… go on ahead.”</p>
<p>Alya shrugged and dashed off. Nino, perhaps more astute in the moment, gave her an apologetic shrug before chasing after his girlfriend.</p>
<p>I need to transform,” Marinette thought. Right away. The fate of Paris depends on me transforming.</p>
<p>For a moment though, she just sat there on her haunches, staring into space. It’d been foolish of her. Falling in love. Hoping. Wishing. Dreaming.</p>
<p>But now it was time to wake up. Marinette climbed to her feet. “Tikki, spots on!”</p>
<p>Nothing. No pink light. No sparkles. No kwami zipping into her earrings.</p>
<p>“Tikki?” She looked around, puzzled. Absently, she touched her earrings to make sure they were still there. </p>
<p>Realization dawned. Of all the times for Tikki to go AWOL. She was going to have to have a serious talk with her kwami. Before she could decide which way to go, a red blur shot down from an overhead vent.</p>
<p>“Oh thank goodness. I was so worried. You shouldn’t-“</p>
<p>“No time!” Tikki whispered, dropping cat’s ring into her palm. Relief flooded Marinette. So that’s why Tikki had gone off on her own. Her sweet, blessed kwami. She was going to bake her a macaron the size of a dinner plate when this was all over.</p>
<p>“Tikki, spots-“</p>
<p>The door to the kitchen burst open. Tikki vanished inside her dress as Lila, frazzled and wild-eyed, stopped ten feet from her. Her gaze fell on the ring. </p>
<p>“You!” she screamed and charged. From behind her, Adrien appeared. And behind him, the akuma, sword in hand.</p>
<p>Marinette watched with dawning horror the events that played out before her. Adrien tackling Lila. Lila biting down on his hand. Adrien letting go. Lila pivoting, thrusting Adrien in the path of-</p>
<p>“NO!” Not Adrien. Not Cat Noir. Not him. Not ever.</p>
<p>Suddenly, she was there, shoving Adrien aside. Seeing his wide-eyed terror. Feeling the blade slide through her, like a pin through fabric.</p>
<p>“Adrien,” she breathed as she stumbled forward. He caught her around the waist, his gaze turning downward. She followed it to her stomach, where the tip of the sword jutted out, slowly dripping blood.</p>
<p>“Marinette!” came Adrien’s horrified exclamation.</p>
<p>“Fuck, I’m not paid enough for  this shit.” Lila turned and bolted for the exit.</p>
<p>There was no time. Lila and Kagami both knew his identity. They needed to be stopped. She grasped his hand in hers. Had she ever noticed before the flecks of gold in his eyes? Like dappled sun on a forest floor. How they shined with an inner light, like jewels. Oh, those were tears. Adrien was crying.</p>
<p>“I’m so sorry, Marinette. God, I’m so sorry. I wish it’d been me. I don’t know how I can ever earn your forgiveness-“</p>
<p>“Shh.” She slipped the ring onto his finger and leaned up to give him a kiss, silencing his rambling apology. “Go get ‘em, kitten.”</p>
<p>The next thing she knew, she was being passed to Alya and Nino and eased to the floor.</p>
<p>#</p>
<p>Marinette was no stranger to adrenal shock. Her eyes fluttered shut, and a tingling sensation swept across her skin. She felt both warm and cold at the same time, and she dreamed of a time when she was young, and her parents had taken her to the ocean, and of the big calm waves that buoyed her up and down and up and down, and how she went lower and lower into that warm, sun kissed water where everything was oh so quiet, and all her worries seemed to leak away.</p>
<p>"Wake up, Marinette."</p>
<p>"Mmm," she mumbled.</p>
<p>Something unpleasant was jabbing at her incessantly. It seemed to pull her up, like a fish caught on a hook, until she was breaking free of the water and staring up at-</p>
<p>"Alya?"</p>
<p>"Oh thank God," Alya exclaimed. "You passed out and the ambulance isn't coming and we were just so scared-"</p>
<p>Marinette looked around. She was still in the ballroom. Only the people seemed to have changed. Instead of Adrien and Lila and an akuma, there was Alya and Nino and Chloé and… her butler?</p>
<p>“Give me that first aid kit now, Chloé!” Nino tried to deke past her to get to the butler.</p>
<p>“No way! Not until that dirty little peasant thief gives me back my bracelet!”</p>
<p>“She’s been stabbed and might be dying!” Nino shouted. “Are you insane? Not even you can be this petty!”</p>
<p>“Give. Me. Back. My. Bracelet.” Chloé folded her arms. “Otherwise, Dupain-Cheng can wait for Ladybitch’s cure like the rest of you losers.”</p>
<p>The pain in her gut was coming back with a vengeance, along with the reality that Adrien was out there fighting Kagami. He was going to need her help. Kagami was already an expert swordfighter, and the akuma enhanced native talent geometrically. She didn't think even Ladybug could take her on in a fair fight. Especially not with Lila waiting in the wings to steal his miraculous.</p>
<p>Lila. A fury unlike any other rose up inside her. Nothing survived the inferno of rage that filled her at the mere thought of that worm. No heartache. No sadness. No pain. there was nothing but all-consuming wrath.</p>
<p>Marinette grabbed the edge of the table with one blood-covered hand. Slowly, she dragged herself to her feet.</p>
<p>"Marinette!" Alya cried turning from the ongoing struggle. "What are you doing! You need to lie down! You're going to hurt yourself."</p>
<p>She ignored her friend and instead tested her wound. Blood matted her dress to her skin. The pain was horrendous, but she kept her mind focused on Lila, which made it tolerable.</p>
<p>She flexed her abdominal muscles and winced. She needed something to hold her insides together. The suit wouldn't do. It was form-fitting, but it also allowed her full range of motion. She needed something that was going to keep her from bleeding to death whenever she threw her yoyo.</p>
<p>"There’s no ambulance coming?" she questioned. There were standing orders to keep the area around an akuma clear. But that also meant that Cat Noir and Masamune were still nearby. "I need something I can use to hold the wound shut."</p>
<p>Alya's eyes bugged out. "You're not going out there, Marinette. That's insane. I've seen the footage of the last two times Kagami was turned. She's an absolute demon in battle. She's not like Miracle Whip over there." Alya pointed a thumb at Chloé.</p>
<p>"Hey!"</p>
<p>Marinette stripped off the bracelet and threw it. "Here you go. Now hand over the kit."</p>
<p>"Fine, but get out of my hotel!" Chloé snatched the bracelet off the ground before fleeing. The butler gave them a worried glance as he handed over the first aid kit. He followed his mistress out, leaving them alone in the vast, open space.</p>
<p>"I'm serious, Marinette," Alya said angrily. "I'm not letting you go out there. This time it's a job for Ladybug and Cat Noir."</p>
<p>"I'm going." She reached for the first aid kit with one hand, but Alya slapped it out of the way. It slid across the table and over the edge.</p>
<p>"Alya," Marinette growled. She didn't have time for this. Every second she was stuck here was another second Cat Noir was on his own. She took a calming breath and forced herself to say, "I need you to trust me, Alya."</p>
<p>"Well I don't. I'm sorry, Marinette, but I'm not letting you ruin your life with this - whatever the hell it is." In a more conciliatory tone, she added, "I’m not going to lose my best friend. Don't go out there. You have nothing to prove to Cat Noir. You don't have to compete with Ladybug for him."</p>
<p>"Get me that first aid kit, Alya."</p>
<p>You're not even listening." Alya turned away, crossing her arms over her chest. "I just can't believe it. You're insane. You're not getting that first aid kit, and you're not going out there. You'll thank me for this one day."</p>
<p>Cat Noir, she thought, praying that somehow her words would reach him. Hold on, I'm coming.</p>
<p>"I'm going with or without your help. The only difference is whether I'll die because you-"</p>
<p>"Don't put this on me," Alya hissed, whirling on her. "And you're not going anywhere. I'll hold you down if I have to. This will all be a bad dream any minute now. Just wait for Ladybug-"</p>
<p>Fury unlike any other surged inside Marinette.  It burst and broke and burned her up from the inside. In a voice as implacable as a glacier, she screamed, "I AM LADYBUG!" The murderous rage she felt for Hawk Moth and Lila all seemed to orient themselves into a glare that was fixed on her best friend. Alya took an instinctive step back.</p>
<p>Marinette also took a moment to look around to make sure no one heard that. No one other than Alya and Nino anyway.</p>
<p>"That's not funny," Alya said finally. "You're obviously not Ladybug."</p>
<p>Marinette turned her gaze back to Alya and stared for a moment. Alya didn't believe her? Of course she didn't believe her. Who was she kidding?</p>
<p>"Of course Marinette can't be Ladybug, she seethed, turning away and limping toward the exit. "Marinette's a liar and a spaz and a klutz, isn't that right, Alya? Apparently, Marinette's a drug addict and a slut too. And Ladybug's just so fucking perfect. Ladybug can do no wrong. No one has to ever worry about anything, because Ladybug's going to be there to save the day. Every fucking time. Paris’ Goddamned fucking princess."</p>
<p>Tears sprung from her eyes. She wiped them furiously away, turning her face into a hot mess. She didn't have time for this. She ignored Alya and Nino, instead pressing on toward the lobby, sinking down to her haunches as the pain became too much. Cat Noir was out there. Cat Noir needed her. Or did he? Did he ever even truly exist? It was only ever Adrien, and could she honestly say that Adrien ever needed her? She shoved that thought away, unable to face it.</p>
<p>"Ladybug was just a dream," she went on. A dam inside her had burst, and she was powerless to do anything other than be swept along in its current. "She was just a fantasy. You all wanted or so much to be real. I tried so hard to be that for you... just kept pouring myself into her, giving her a piece of me bit by bit, day by day, until there's just nothing left. What more do you all want? Couldn’t I have just had this little bit? Couldn’t there be something just for Marinette too? Why’d they have to take it all away?"</p>
<p>When she looked up, there were tears in Alya's eyes. Nino was busy opening up the first aid kit. "I took a first aid course. Nino, help her stand up. I'll bandage the wound."</p>
<p>He put her arm around his shoulder, taking her weight and lifting her up.</p>
<p>"Alya-"</p>
<p>"Will the suit go over the bandage?" she asked briskly.</p>
<p>That… was a good question. Her clothes didn’t survive the transformation, but surely, surely this was a special case. Besides, did it matter? She was going out there no matter what.</p>
<p>For a minute they stood in silence, Alya working on keeping Marinette's guts from spilling out. Alya spared nothing, slapping what felt like the entirety of the kit’s contents on her stomach.</p>
<p>"The blade was thin and sharp and not serrated. I don't think it punctured any vital organs. But there could be something else wrong, like internal bleeding, which we won't know until you pass out. If that happens, you'll probably already be close to death."</p>
<p>"Thank you."</p>
<p>There were so many emotions that seemed to be vying for space in Alya's expressions that Marinette couldn't decipher it.</p>
<p>"I wish," Alya began. "I wish I didn't find out like this."</p>
<p>"I'm sorry."</p>
<p>"Go."</p>
<p>Marinette left.</p>
<p>#</p>
<p>Ladybug landed atop a six story building three blocks from La Grand Paris. The damage from this attack was neither obvious nor dramatic. An occasional gash along a concrete wall, or a slash across a car door. Faintly, she caught the sound of someone screaming. Lila.</p>
<p>She yoyoed in the direction of the fighting. Two hops later, she spotted the fighting between Masamune and Cat Noir, with Lila darting between objects in an attempt to escape.</p>
<p>"HEEEELLLLLLPPP!" screeched Lila to the open air. "LADYBUG, What’s taking you so long!?"</p>
<p>That girl had some nerve demanding to be saved. </p>
<p>Between one blink and the next, the fight was over. Masamune knocked Cat’s staff away and knocked him onto his stomach. She drove two swords in a crisscross shape into the asphalt to either side of his neck, pinning him as neatly as a fly caught in honey. She then turned and stalked toward Lila.</p>
<p>Ladybug was just about to jump down and intercept when Lila screamed, "Wait! Hawk Moth! I finally figured out Cat Noir's identity! I was just waiting for you to make contact with me again! Don't let her hurt me! Otherwise I won't tell you!"</p>
<p>Ladybug froze. The outline of a purple butterfly shone over Masamune's face. Ladybug couldn't hear the conversation between Masamune and Hawk Moth, but she could very well guess. Masamune also knew the secret, and would not want Hawk Moth to force her to spare Lila, and would thus bargain with Hawk Moth. All that flashed in an instant through Ladybug's mind. She launched her yoyo from overhead with all her strength. It stabbed down on the top of Masamune's head like an axe blade, digging through the bone and biting into the tender brain meat beneath. Gore sprayed in all directions. Masamune fell like a puppet whose strings were cut.</p>
<p>Shaken to her core, Ladybug leapt down, catching the butterfly that rose from Kagami's body. When she hit the ground, she sank to one knee, one hand clutching instinctively at her stomach. Before she could stand, her gaze fell on Kagami's still form. Kagami had been released from the transformation, but the wound remained, blood and bone and brain having sprayed outward and fallen like rain on the street.</p>
<p>Ladybug stood up, one hand clutching her stomach, which returned to throbbing with a vengeance. Wordlessly, she released the purified butterfly, and cast the miraculous cure. Ladybugs swarmed in all directions. A handful wiped the ground clear of viscera and reconstructed Kagami’s head. Nevertheless, she did not stir.</p>
<p>Numbed by everything that’d happened, Ladybug turned only to discover that Lila was staring open-mouthed at her hand... and her abdomen. Lila's gaze met hers. There was no mistaking that look. She knew Ladybug’s identity too now.</p>
<p>A single word seemed to coalesce in Ladybug’s mind. It was as immutable as the sun which trekked across the sky. As cold and as devoid of warmth as the gulf between the stars. Lila knowing her identity? Unacceptable. Utterly unacceptable.</p>
<p>Lila must have read her thoughts in her expression, because she scrambled to her feet. "Help me!" she screamed. "Ladybug's going to kill me!"</p>
<p>She was backing away, not quite prepared to run, as though afraid doing so would set Ladybug off.</p>
<p>Before either could take another step, however, Cat Noir landed between them.</p>
<p>#</p>
<p>"Cat Noir!" Lila shouted anxiously. "Ladybug's going to kill me!"</p>
<p>"Whoa!" he exclaimed, raising a hand. "No one's killing anyone, Lila. Certainly not Ladybug. So you can just cool it with all the lies."</p>
<p>In a small, dark corner of his mind, he couldn't help but think that killing Lila would solve his own problem quite neatly. But then again, he was a superhero, and superheroes did not murder. Ever. That was like, superhero 101 type stuff. He’d give up his miraculous before he ever did that.</p>
<p>"You don't understand-"</p>
<p>"I understand perfectly. We're all going to go and have a chat-"</p>
<p>Cat barely registered the yoyo growing larger out of the corner of his eye before he was struck in the chest by what felt like the fist of God. the next thing he knew, he was sitting in a pile of rubble, white dust coating him from head to toe from the drywall that had been powdered. He coughed and picked himself up. Did Ladybug just do that? It couldn’t have been.</p>
<p>But there she was, standing outside, a look in her eyes that made him shiver. Suddenly, he wasn’t so certain Lila was lying this time.</p>
<p>Lila screamed in genuine terror and turned to run. The yoyo shot out again, the cord whipping around Lila's neck once, twice, three times. Ladybug’s expression never changed. With a tug that looked almost gentle, Lila's body went flying through the air in the other direction, and with another tug, the yoyo went taut. Lila's scream cut instantly as her neck snapped. There came the sound of a body hitting the pavement.</p>
<p>The yoyo retracted and then shot into the air, Ladybug vanishing after it.</p>
<p>Some truths, Cat Noir was discovering, killed.</p>
<p>#</p>
<p>Leap. Grit teeth. Land. Collapse. Pick yourself up. Leap again.</p>
<p>rinse and repeat.</p>
<p>She didn't dare turn back. Didn't dare hesitate. She could feel him - Cat Noir. He was like an echo in her mind. An afterimage. Never quite touching but always there, following. She didn't know what she would do if he caught up to her. Fall to pieces, probably.</p>
<p>She sure as hell couldn't fight him. Not him. Not Adrien. Not with this wound that kept on fucking bleeding and screaming at her.</p>
<p>She was almost there. The hospital. Get down, transform and get inside. Ladybug's three-step plan to avoid Cat Noir. Only her foot slipped on something, or maybe her body was finally giving up. She bit down on her tongue so hard she was sure she must have cut through it. And then she was falling. The moment of weightlessness was a relief. Let me die. The ground rushed up to meet her.</p>
<p>Pain, pain and more pain. God, was this nightmare ever going to end?</p>
<p>Something landed in the alley next to her. A presence. She didn’t need to see to know it was him. Cat Noir. Adrien. For a moment, she closed her eyes. Maybe if she ignored the world long enough, it would ignore her back.</p>
<p>She felt him kneel next to her, felt his warmth, his claws ghosting over her skin. When she finally opened her eyes, she found herself staring at his lean, muscular chest. She blinked. Were her eyes playing tricks on her. Shoulders, arms, legs – that was him. But the color was all wrong. Instead of black, his leather had become almost totally white.</p>
<p>Just the sight of it tugged her back through time. To the memory of the one time she’d failed, the one time she’d died, the one reminder of all the peril that lay at her feet if she made one misstep. To the time of Cat Blanc.</p>
<p>"Cat," she whispered, eyes fluttering closed.</p>
<p>“Princess.”</p>
<p>Her mind stalled. That one word. Cat’s nickname, reserved for Marinette…. To hear it now, in the suit, it couldn’t be. It just couldn’t. Pieces seemed to slot into place. He knew her identity. Somehow, somewhere, over the past hour, it’d finally happened. He knew his lady and his princess were one and the same. And now he knew. She was a fraud, a liar, a murderer. And he’d been akumatized over it. Like last time.</p>
<p>Strong arms like steel hoisted her into the air and carried her out of the alley. She barely paid attention, her eyes fluttering shut. She was just so tired of all the fighting, of the uncertainty, of the self-doubt.</p>
<p>She wondered if it’d happened like this in the original timeline. Questions she’d never let herself dwell on now demanded their due. Had they been lovers? Did they quarrel? Had they lain under the stars painting a shared future together in their mind’s eye. Had they been happy at all?</p>
<p>“I’m sorry, Tikki,” she mumbled. “I’m sorry I wasn’t strong enough… to save Nooroo, or Duusu, or Cat Noir.”</p>
<p>She was sorry for so many things. For letting her parents down. For letting Paris down. Even for shattering Alya’s romanticized picture of her perfect heroine. For not having been smart enough, strong enough, fast enough, to stop Lila before things escalated.</p>
<p>There were words exchanged around her, but her head had grown fuzzy; especially after the pinching sensation in her arm. A heavy blanket settled over her mind, pressing her down, down, down into a great, pillowy darkness. In the distance, somewhere in the farthest corner of her imagination, a thought she’d never had the courage to face scuttled about in the dark.</p>
<p>After she was gone, would Bunnyx bring another Marinette forward to fix things? Would the cycle thus begin anew? How many Marinettes had died already? How many would be consigned to die in the future, before it was all over? Before she was finally allowed to rest?</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0008"><h2>8. Chapter 8</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Apparently being a superhero got him no hospital privileges whatsoever. The nurse remorselessly directed him to the waiting area while the doctors administered a sedative and wheeled Marinette away. Her ramblings quieted as the drugs took effect. Then she was gone, and he was left to his thoughts.</p>
<p>Ladybug murdered Lila. Marinette was Ladybug. Marinette, therefore, murdered Lila. Surely he dreamt that whole nightmare scene up. That had to be it. Sandboy had returned, and every moment from when Lila took his ring was all part of a fevered dream. Marinette wasn’t really in a hospital. She wasn’t really at risk of dying.</p>
<p>Had it only been an hour since he’d held Marinette in his arms? Since they’d danced, Clara’s sweet voice softly singing in the background. Had it only been an hour since he’d look to the future with hope? A future shared between him and… Ladybug.</p>
<p>The knots in his stomach twisted harder than ever, and he found himself bolting for the bathroom; found himself  stumbling into a stall and collapsing and heaving. The smell of digested canapés and white wine filled the cubicle.</p>
<p>Marinette was Ladybug. This fact shone in his brain, a lighthouse that drew him ever closer to the reality of the situation. He’d told Ladybug he loved Marinette – had asked her permission to disclose his identity. He’d kissed her, held her, professed his love to her, as she had done to him. All that time…. Secret stacked on top of secret. Lie stacked on lie.</p>
<p>He threw up again.</p>
<p>“Cat Noir?”</p>
<p>He grabbed a wad of toilet paper and wiped his mouth clean before woozily getting to his feet.</p>
<p>“Mrs. Cheng?”</p>
<p>Marinette’s mother stepped hesitantly into the bathroom, Tom Dupain following suit. “We were just coming in when we saw you run out of the waiting area,” she explained. “They told us you brought Marinette in.”</p>
<p>His stomach twisted again, but, like a used rag, there was nothing left to ring out.</p>
<p>“Can you – can you tell us what happened?”</p>
<p>He could barely even think it, never mind trying to explain the myriad strains of thoughts and feelings that were winding themselves up inside him.</p>
<p>“There was an akuma at the ball,” he said finally. “Marinette was stabbed in the stomach.”</p>
<p>Had they known already that there’d been an akuma? That Ladybug had cast the cure? That their daughter was a murderer?</p>
<p>Tom responded, “But why didn’t the cure work?” </p>
<p>His mind flashed back to the small scar on her cheek, a remnant of their battle with Enchantress. That’d been Ladybug who’d leapt in front of him. Ladybug who’d had her cheek sliced open by flying glass. All those nights on her balcony… in her bedroom…. Ladybug, Ladybug, Ladybug.</p>
<p>"No, it didn’t," he answered lamely.</p>
<p>“But why?”</p>
<p>But why indeed. There was no reason. No logic. No answer that would make sense save for the truth. What must the world look like if the cure didn’t work? Paris depended on that cure as surely as it depended on the sun to rise.</p>
<p>"Spit it out, son."</p>
<p>"I... can't," he said finally, looking away. "I think you need to wait for Marinette and speak to her."</p>
<p>“Now listen here-“</p>
<p>"Please!" he implored, his hands raised to ward off further demands. "I'm saying it for Marinette's benefit. She would feel betrayed if I spoke about her secrets to you." Inwardly he grimaced. He just admitted to Marinette actually having secrets.</p>
<p>Sabine opened her mouth to speak, but Tom squeezed her shoulder.</p>
<p>"Marinette told us," Tom said, leaning in. "About how Ladybug picked her to be a hero. About how she’s Multimouse. Does this-” he gestured at the walls, “-have anything to do with that?”</p>
<p>“Ladybug picked… Marinette?” Cat repeated blankly. Well, yes, that was true in a technical sense. Marinette had been Multimouse, and she’d been Ladybug too. He still didn’t know how she’d pulled it off, but why were her parents bringing it up? How’d they even know? Why’d she tell them? The confusion in his eyes must have lingered too long, because Marinette’s parents seemed to crumple inward from the weight of some sort of realization.</p>
<p>"Oh my God," Sabine whispered, eyes filling with tears. "Tom, she lied to us. Again.”</p>
<p>Tom wrapped her in his arms and held her tight. “That can’t be it. There must be an explanation.”</p>
<p>But this only caused Sabine to bury her face in Tom’s shoulder and cry harder. “How can we trust anything she says?”</p>
<p>Stressed, claws raking nervously through his dirty hair, he said, “Look, can I have a minute? We’re in a bathroom here. I just need to wash up.”</p>
<p>“Of course, of course.” But before they left, Tom took a moment to scan the bathroom. With a jolt, Cat realized he was searching for windows – for egress points Cat could flee through. Was that why they followed him into the bathroom? Why they persisted on interrogating him here? Because they didn’t trust him to stick around?</p>
<p>When they finally shuffled out, Cat finished cleaning up. He took a moment to study his ghostly reflection in the mirror. He ran a claw over his suit, leaving a thin dark line in the white dust that still covered him from where Ladybug had thrown him through a wall. Ladybug had thrown him through a wall. So she could kill Lila. He thought he should maybe feel betrayed, but the memory of her dead eyes when she’d committed the act only filled him with a sick feeling.</p>
<p>Outside, just beyond the waiting area, there was a small semi-private room that’d been walled off with a curtain. Tom and Sabine’s voices drifted from within, accompanied by the more authoritative voice of a doctor. Cat loitered outside, far enough for a normal person not to be able to hear, but close enough that he could still pick up the conversation.</p>
<p>"-the good news is that we believe she will recover mostly, if not fully." The doctor paused to let the news sink in and to let them breathe a collective sigh of relief. "The bad news is that she will require a lot of therapy to recover. She's torn several abdominal muscles, and damaged her spleen. She is currently being prepared for a splenectomy."</p>
<p>"Is that - what does that mean for her?"</p>
<p>"Not much. She may be at higher risk for certain infections, but otherwise will live a normal, happy life. The only lasting repercussion will be scarring on her abdomen. All in all, she is very lucky."</p>
<p>A bit of the tension in his shoulders drained away. She’d be fine. Eventually. At least physically. He thought about the look in Sabine’s eyes. About the accusation that Marinette had been lying. She’d never spoken about it; he’d never known, always assuming that her home life had been like those idyllic family sitcoms he’d watched on television.</p>
<p>It was obvious they weren’t going to let him in to see Marinette. Not before she woke. Not before her parents got to see her first. And if they did, they’d confront her… and she wouldn’t realize they thought she was lying about being Multimouse. There was no telling what she would say, what further lies she would tell, what further damage she would do to her relationship with her parents.</p>
<p>“Yes, I’m looking for the patient that Cat Noir brought in. I understand she’s here.”</p>
<p>Cat froze. Who was asking that question? A quick glance around the corner revealed a sharply dressed male with neat, clean features. It was a reporter. He’d been well-trained in spotting them from his long years as a famous model. He’d bet money on it.</p>
<p>And he was asking specifically about Marinette… but not him. Something about that thought filled him with worry. They had no reason to ask about her. It wasn’t like they knew she was Ladybug.</p>
<p>The conversation between Marinette’s parents and the doctor drew his attention once more. “I haven’t reported it yet,” said the doctor, “but I’m going to have to do so eventually. Your daughter appears to have been stabbed by a sword. Given that the akuma attack has been resolved, her injuries should have healed, which either means that-“</p>
<p>Icy dread crept down Cat’s spine. Marinette was Ladybug. Marinette had been stabbed. Now that he knew what he was seeing, he remembered the way she nursed her wound when facing off against Lila. If that’d been recorded on camera, would others be able to take note of her behavior? Would they be able to connect an injured Ladybug with the mystery girl brought into the hospital minutes later by Cat Noir?</p>
<p>He pressed his temples into his palms in an attempt to squeeze the forming headache away. There was nothing he could do about it now. He couldn’t cataclysm the information away. Even if it were about protecting Marinette. About the girl he loved. The person who, miraculously, represented the two most important people in his life.</p>
<p>Even if he managed to suppress Marinette’s identity here at the hospital – a big if – there was no telling who might piece together her identity from the other end. Alya and Nino at the very least had known Marinette had been stabbed. Was there anyone else at the hotel who knew? It all came down to who saw Ladybug injured. If it were caught on video, it was game over.</p>
<p>The doctor stepped out of the small consultation room and gave Cat a quick once over before continuing on his way. He needed to go in there. He needed to tell them about the hammer that was falling.</p>
<p>He took a step forward before hesitating. There was no way to tell them, he realized. Not without disclosing her identity. But if others put it together first, they’d know anyway. Was Ladybug’s most closely held secret slipping through their fingers?</p>
<p>Ladybug, he thought despairingly, I need you now more than ever.</p>
<p>Marinette’s parents stepped out of the room. Their gazes zeroed in on him, their expressions having edged over from morose to unfriendly. Cat was still trying to reorder his thoughts into some semblance of a plan when the intercom system blared to life.</p>
<p>“Attention, all staff, patients and visitors, we regret to inform you that all non-essential hospital services are presently being suspended until further notice due to the akuma attack taking place.”</p>
<p>Seriously? Another one? Did that mean that Hawk Moth had seen Ladybug injured? Did he know she was trapped in a hospital?</p>
<p>Someone turned on an overhead-mounted tv. Madame Chamack was standing outside on the Champs-Élysées  near the Arc de Triomphe, breathlessly narrating the events which led to the crowd of protesters that was rapidly forming.</p>
<p>“As you can see, the video of Ladybug committing murder, which was uploaded to the Ladyblog less than an hour ago, has sparked a massive-“</p>
<p>But then her voice, tinny and distorted through the poor quality speakers, was quickly cut off when a dark butterfly landed on her microphone. Cat took a reflexive step forward. It couldn’t be. The famous news anchor was subsumed by bubbles the color of rubies.</p>
<p>Scarlet Moth was back.</p>
<p>#</p>
<p>Marinette was like a balloon filled with helium. She floated lazily through the colorful, imaginary world of her mind. Everything was so peaceful here. No fighting, no doubt, no pain. Just an endless ocean of bliss. Maybe she could stay here forever?</p>
<p>Alas, it was not to be. At first, it was the beeping. Then it was the distant wail of a siren - one she recognized well – the akuma alert. The mere sound, no matter how distant or faint, caused adrenaline to begin pumping through her system. </p>
<p>But I'm so comfy, a part of her mind complained. She snuggled into her pillow as if to prove to herself how impossible it would be to leave.</p>
<p>But you have a duty, Ladybug. Paris needs you.</p>
<p>She roused herself from unconsciousness. A slow, arduous process, like scaling a cliff with her bare hands. Eventually, she climbed over the lip, her eyes fluttering open. Hazy, disturbing memories assaulted her. The feel of her yoyo digging through bone. The cord wrapping around a human neck.</p>
<p>A commotion from outside her room drew her attention.</p>
<p>“Stay away from her!”</p>
<p>Maman? She wondered. It sounded like her. Only she’d never heard her mother so angry.</p>
<p>The door burst open and Cat darted inside. Her mother lunged after him, snatching his tail in one hand, causing him to stumble.</p>
<p>“Don’t you dare!” she shouted.</p>
<p>“Please!” Cat cried, his voice frantic. “I just need a moment with Marinette!”</p>
<p>“Absolutely not!” Her father muscled into the room. “Marinette needs rest.” He gave the room a quick scan. “And we need to have a private family discussion with her.”</p>
<p>“There’s a mass akumatization happening right now.” Cat’s voice was pained. Somehow, she knew his words were for her benefit.</p>
<p>A mass akumatization…. She’d killed Lila. She hadn’t even thought, hadn’t considered the implications. She’d just been filled with an all-consuming need to act, to stop the oncoming tide of destruction that she envisioned from letting Lila go free. And yet, to have actually taken a life….</p>
<p> “Which is why you should be out there with Ladybug!” her mother exclaimed. “And not here harassing our injured daughter. Go! Shoo!”</p>
<p>Oh, of course, she realized in a flash. Cat was here, because he knew her identity. He was here to collect Ladybug for the fight. Only there was no way she could actually fight an akuma, let alone several of them. Her gaze flicked down to the rest of her. Her stomach was hidden by the thin hospital blanket, but she knew she wasn’t going anywhere with that wound.</p>
<p>Cat must’ve known it too. Maybe, maybe he was here to take her miraculous. Perhaps, given what she’d done, he didn’t think she deserved it anymore.</p>
<p>On reflex, she lifted a hand to touch her earrings, to reassure herself they were still there, only to freeze. They were gone.</p>
<p>“Cat, my earrings,” she rasped.</p>
<p>Her voice, thin as it was, cut through the argument like a scalpel.</p>
<p>Cat and her parents turned to face her. It took her a second to realize what she’d done. She’d just asked for her earrings. She could see the questions writing themselves in her parents’ expressions… could see the slow motion apocalypse forming in their eyes as her single comment became the prism through which all the disparate pieces of her past actions suddenly became clear.</p>
<p>Because, with everything else happening, there was really only one reason for anyone to care about a pair of earrings at a time like this.</p>
<p>“It can’t be,” her mother said. “I… I would’ve known. All this time….”</p>
<p>Her father came around and put a steadying hand on her shoulder as she swayed from the revelation.</p>
<p>There was no time for this. If Cat knew her identity, and now her parents too, they needed to act. The blood drained from her face as she realized that Nino and Alya knew. And if they’d become akumatized, then Hawk Moth would know.</p>
<p>No, she thought, grasping at whatever straws of hope she could get her hands on. There’s still time. Even if they were akumatized, Alya and Nino wouldn’t be able to communicate with Hawk Moth through the mind link. At least, she thought they couldn’t. There’d be too many akumas for Hawk Moth to keep track of.</p>
<p>Marinette struggled to a sitting position.</p>
<p>“Sweetie, you can’t go out there,” her mother began.</p>
<p>There was no time for this. No time to sugarcoat things. No time to ease her parents into it.</p>
<p>“Maman!” Marinette’s voice sliced through her protests like a whip. “Did you bring any treats in your purse? Pull them out please.” She turned to Cat Noir. “How many akumas?”</p>
<p>“Hard to tell,” he said. “At least a hundred.”</p>
<p>She was in the process of disconnecting the glucose drip when she paused at Cat’s words. More than a hundred. And with this injury. Even at full strength it would have been a slog.</p>
<p>Her mother had pulled a box of pastries from her purse and cradled it in her hands.</p>
<p>“Tikki, eat up.”</p>
<p>Her kwami peeked out from behind her pillow before hesitantly floating into the air. Marinette ignored her parents wide-eyed look. </p>
<p>“Don’t be shy. We’ve got a long night ahead of us.”</p>
<p>With another questioning glance at Marinette, Tikki dove into the box, phasing through the cardboard. With a shriek, her mother dropped the container. It hit the ground, where it continued to shake as Tikki devoured the contents.</p>
<p>“Please tell me you have my earrings,” she said.</p>
<p>Cat pulled them from his pocket and held them out. “I needed to force your de-transformation before bringing you to the hospital,” he explained. “And I figured it might just be safer if I held onto them.”</p>
<p>“Clever kitty,” she murmured, staring at the earrings thoughtfully. Seeing them in his hands gave her an idea. “If I cast the cure, it won’t help me, because I’ll have to be transformed.”</p>
<p>Cat caught the line of thinking. “So what if I cast the cure?”</p>
<p>She turned to Tikki, who was just floating out of the box. Her parents, still shocked, took a step back from the alien being.</p>
<p>“That will work,” Tikki said. “But I will need to recharge after.”</p>
<p>“Maman, Papa, I need you to go find a vending machine and grab all the sweets you can. And try to get some cheese too while you’re at it.”</p>
<p>Her mother peeled her gaze from the flying bug-mouse to stare blankly at her daughter.</p>
<p>“Maman!” Marinette exclaimed. “I need you to get it together. Paris is depending on us. Vending machine. Sweets. Now. This is very important.”</p>
<p>With a start, she seemed to snap out of her daze. “Okay.”</p>
<p>“We’ll be talking about this,” her father said as he took his wife’s hand.</p>
<p>“Tomorrow,” Marinette replied. “Assuming we survive.” The moment they were gone, she turned to Cat. “Hurry, before they come back.”</p>
<p>He de-transformed, the magic wiping away all the grime that had accumulated on his body. When the green light faded, there was just Adrien standing there. Just Adrien… so it really was him. All this time. She forced herself to keep her breathing steady.</p>
<p>“Better not risk wearing them both.” Plagg collected the ring and floated over to the bed to land next to her.</p>
<p>She reached over and scratched behind his ears.</p>
<p>“Stop that,” he muttered, “I’m not actually a cat.”</p>
<p>Yet she couldn’t help but notice he didn’t actually move to escape her ministrations.</p>
<p>“Miraculous Mr. Bug!”</p>
<p>Ladybugs swarmed over her, leaving a warm, tingling feeling in their wake. She’d never really gotten to experience the cure before, and so had never really appreciated why people adored Ladybug so much. The cure didn’t just heal the wound, though it did that too. It seemed to touch something inside, filling her with warmth. It was like a warm hug that seeped right down into her bones. A reassurance that everything would be okay.</p>
<p>“Spots off.”</p>
<p>A moment later, Marinette was scrambling out of bed and slipping the earrings back on. She absently touched her stomach, flexing and twisting this way and that. Not even any stiffness. Even though she’d cast the cure over a hundred times, this was perhaps the first time she felt deep down how miraculous it truly was.</p>
<p>“You need to transform back before my parents return.”</p>
<p>Adrien slid the ring onto his finger, but he made no further move to transform.</p>
<p>“Does it really matter?” he asked, his gaze not quite meeting hers. “I’ll transform tonight, of course. But come tomorrow, I’ll have to renounce my miraculous. I did break one of the rules, after all.”</p>
<p>“Just to be clear, no one’s transforming until I get some cheese,” Plagg added.</p>
<p>Marinette pursed her lips. Kagami had known his identity and had then gotten akumatized. She thought of that last, panicked throw of her yoyo – a desperate attempt to keep Hawk Moth from finding out Cat’s identity. She was ninety-nine percent sure Masamune hadn’t told Hawk Moth. But ninety-nine percent wasn’t good enough. Not unless they could hunt down the supervillain that very night.</p>
<p>“And even if we could know,” he went on, “I don’t want there to be anymore secrets. I want to date you as myself. As Adrien. That is, if you’ll still have me.”</p>
<p>It was her turn to peel her gaze from those viridian pools. No fair that he made me fall in love with him twice, she grumbled. That stupid cat. It was exactly the kind of mischief he would get up to.</p>
<p>“Of course I do.” The words were instinctive and said without hesitation, but in her mind, she thought of Kagami, and how devastated she too must’ve been. And that it was Adrien who’d done that to her. </p>
<p>Yet Marinette wasn’t blameless either. It’d been Marinette who’d pressed forward with a relationship with Cat Noir. It’d been Marinette who’d justified it, never having known the other girl, a faceless stranger. It’d been Marinette who’d believed, deep down, that she deserved Cat Noir, that if he could fall in love with Marinette as he’d done with Ladybug, then he was hers, and woe be to any other who even tried.</p>
<p>“Marinette?”</p>
<p>The door opened, and both her parents came in. They paused at the sight of Adrien, but their expressions didn’t change. That was probably a worrying sign, but like it always was, she had to shove her relationship with her parents to one side.</p>
<p>They set the bags of chips and chocolate on the bed. Marinette spied some cheese-flavored Doritos. Hopefully Plagg wasn’t too picky.</p>
<p>“Kwamis, eat up, please.”</p>
<p>They dug in. Marinette had gotten used to their voracious appetites. She’d even come to see it as cute. If her expression was any indication, her mother disagreed, looking rather unsettled by the display.</p>
<p>“Do you know where my purse is?”</p>
<p>“I do,” Tikki chirped. “I kept an eye on where they took it.”</p>
<p>“Would you be so kind as to retrieve my glasses?”</p>
<p>Her kwami nodded and zipped away. Marinette couldn’t help but wish she could vanish from the room too. Well, she supposed, in a minute she would be doing just that, regardless of whatever emotional wreckage she was leaving behind.</p>
<p>“You don’t wear glasses,” her mother began before stopping herself.</p>
<p>Her father put a hand on her shoulder. “If she sent that little creature to fetch it, it’s probably something to do with….”</p>
<p>“Maman, Papa,” Marinette began. “I know there’s a lot we have to talk about, but the explanations and the yelling – it’s going to have to wait. I need to be out there now.”</p>
<p>Her mother walked up to her. She reached up a hand and touched the spot where her scar had been – the one under her eye she’d gotten from Enchantress. “You’ve been living a whole other life,” she murmured.</p>
<p>“I’m sorry.”</p>
<p>“You’re sorry you got caught, you mean.” Her mother seemed to shake herself back to the present. “What do we do now?”</p>
<p>“You and Papa should probably stay in the hospital. It’ll be safer here then out there.” She hesitated before adding, “Go to the top floor. You’ll want to be as high as possible, just in case Ondine is akumatized.”</p>
<p>“Okay.”</p>
<p>Marinette darted forward and hugged her mother. “I love you. No matter what. Be safe.”</p>
<p>Her father came around and enfolded them both in his massive arms. “You too, ma petite.”</p>
<p>Marinette watched them go. She would see them again. This wasn’t the end. She refused to let it be.</p>
<p>“You ready, Bug?”</p>
<p>“Give me a second.” She worried her lower lip in thought.</p>
<p>She should tell him about her suspicions regarding his father. It wasn’t just mere conjecture anymore. Even though Bunnyx had given her almost nothing about the situation that precipitated Cat’s akumatization, she knew it’d had to do with their identities being revealed, and their love. And with those facts in hand, it seemed almost obvious that the only one who had the power to get in the way of that – the only one who still had the power to bring Adrien to despair would’ve been his father.</p>
<p>Yet there wasn’t technically any proof. And trying to explain it to him now, trying to justify it under these circumstances would almost certainly be upsetting for them both. She would have to talk about Cat Blanc.</p>
<p>No, she decided, not tonight. They needed to secure the miracle box and then deal with the akumas. Everything else would have to wait until the cold light of day. They couldn’t afford to rush through all that baggage with Cat Blanc and Adrien’s father.</p>
<p>“Spots on.”</p>
<p>Tikki, who’d returned just a moment prior, was sucked into the earrings.</p>
<p>“Are we teleporting?” He opened the window and cut the screen out with his claws.</p>
<p>She slipped the horse miraculous into her yoyo. “No, we don’t know what we’ll be teleporting into, and the bakery’s practically ground zero for akumatizations.”</p>
<p>“All right, let’s do this.”</p>
<p>#</p>
<p>“Fly, my akumas.”</p>
<p>Nathalie watched as dozens of butterflies vanished into the dark.</p>
<p>“Ladybug has brought about her own end,” said Hawk Moth. “To imagine, after all this time, she has done the unthinkable. Murdering a teenage girl. And to have been filmed doing it no less. Paris will never trust her again.”</p>
<p>“Yes, but how does Scarlet Moth help in this circumstance?” Nathalie asked, one eye remaining on her tablet. “The heroes have already seen this tactic before. They’ll have no doubt created plans to deal with it.”</p>
<p>“Because,” Hawk Moth mused, “we will not be confronting them head on. Not until we have Marinette Dupain-Cheng in our grip. Then, when I break her neck in front of Cat Noir, he will become ripe for one of my many akumas. With absolutely all her allies gone, the only way for her to save Dupain-Cheng, as well as her partner, would be to cast the cure, which would begin the countdown to her transformation. Even the vaunted Ladybug has to bow to the tide eventually.”</p>
<p>“Beautiful,” Nathalie whispered.</p>
<p>“Come and transform. Become Mayura one final time, Nathalie, and let us finish this once and for all.”</p>
<p>Nathalie took the peacock broach from Hawk Moth and affixed it to the lapel of her suit jacket. “I will create the most terrible sentimonster ever born. My greatest opus. A sentimonster with one purpose and one purpose only. To kill Ladybug and Chat Noir. Duusu, spread my feathers!”</p>
<p>Together they left through the butterfly aperture from Hawk Moth’s lair and out into the streets beyond the manor.</p>
<p>#</p>
<p>"There's so many," Cat said, stunned at the hordes of akuma and their legions of followers. The night sky was filled with the fluttering of pigeons. The streets were swarming with Darkblade's minions. Somewhere far away, they faintly heard Santa Claws singing his evil song. Stoneheart and Horrificator were making out at the Trocadero.</p>
<p>Ladybug snatched Style Queen out of midair with her yoyo and smashed her into the ground, cratering the cement sidewalk.</p>
<p>"Letting out those violent urges, are we?"</p>
<p>"And doing it with style, Cat!" She made a little pose as she reeled the broken form of Style Queen up to the top of the lamp post where she was perched. She snatched the akumatized item and broke it, purifying the butterfly and sending it on its way. She tossed Style Queen's still broken body to one side.</p>
<p>"I think you need to do a little more work on your image, m'lady." The words belied the concerned tone in his voice.</p>
<p>"This is the twentieth akuma we've faced," said Ladybug. "And I'm already getting tired. We need to get to the miracle box.”</p>
<p>“Only a few blocks to go. Maybe we should just shoot ourselves into the air and skip this trench crawl altogether.”</p>
<p>That wasn’t a bad idea necessarily, but if there were any fliers out there, they could end up in big trouble if they were ballistic for more than a few seconds.</p>
<p>"Watch out!" Cat tackled her off the post, sending them crashing to the ground below. Ladybug had time to see the dark outlines of arrows stitch the sidewalk in search of them.</p>
<p>Dark Cupid. Shit. Ladybug hugged Cat tightly as he leapt further down the street.</p>
<p>"He's going to be a nightmare to deal with."</p>
<p>"Yeah, especially with Stoneheart lumbering toward us.”</p>
<p>In the lamp light, Ladybug could just make out the outline of the fading arrow from Stoneheart’s chest. Darn it. Dark Cupid had gotten to them, and now it looked like they were ready to get down to the business of taking hers and Cat’s miraculouses.</p>
<p>"Scatter!"</p>
<p>Ladybug yoyoed further down the street. Cat vanished into the darkness. Not good, she thought as Stoneheart picked up a car and threw it at her. She leapt away again.</p>
<p>This isn't working, she thought as arrows, pink goo, and chunks of cement were hurled at her.</p>
<p>"Hey, Ladybug!"</p>
<p>She leapt into the air, catching a traffic light with one hand and using it to swing and back flip onto a parked car thirty feet away. She looked for the voice and saw a dark silhouette atop a building. The figure threw something at Dark Cupid, snagging him around the torso. Suddenly there was a flare of light and the crackle of electricity. Stoneheart and Horrificator, who were just paces behind, stopped and stared at the sight of Dark Cupid having been lit up like a Christmas tree.</p>
<p>Cat landed next to her, huffing. "What the heck?"</p>
<p>"In the faint light, Ladybug recognized the figure. "Tank," she murmured. "One of the guys from my gym. He's an electrician. He just threw a live electrical cable at Dark Cupid."</p>
<p>The current ran out, and Dark Cupid's smoking body fell to the ground like a stone.</p>
<p>"Go on, Ladybug!" yelled Tank. "We've got these two covered!"</p>
<p>Taking that as a challenge, Stoneheart and Horrificator chased after Tank.</p>
<p>Cat glanced at Ladybug. "Friends of yours? Murdery bastards, aren’t they? That explains a lot actually."</p>
<p>They leapt away and toward the bakery.</p>
<p>#</p>
<p>"The rebels have fortified themselves inside College Francoise Dupont, Malediktator," said the records clerk. He prostrated himself on the floor before his master, who sat stiffly behind his giant desk. "All attempts to breach their defenses have failed. I am afraid it is a siege at this point."</p>
<p>"Unacceptable." Malediktator turned to Rogercop. ""Imprison this man."</p>
<p>Rogercop turned to the records clerk and shot him with a beam that wrapped him up in chains. "You are guilty of the crime of giving Malediktator bad news."</p>
<p>"Mmm mmm mmm!" said the records clerk, but the chains had wrapped themselves around his mouth, making speech impossible. Two clerks from accounting dragged him away.</p>
<p>"I want those malfeasors brought to justice! Rogercop, I command you to-"</p>
<p>There was a commotion from outside that had Malediktator heading to the nearest window. Down below, in the courtyard, a battle seemed to be taking place. For a moment, Malediktator stared, uncomprehending. Finally, the sight of his people being knocked down and tied up roused him. "Attack!" he screamed. "We're under attack!"</p>
<p>"Treason," Rogercop said. "They are guilty of the crime of treason."</p>
<p>Malediktator opened the window and stuck his head out to command them to stop.</p>
<p>"Stop!" he screamed.</p>
<p>All his own people immediately ceased. The rebels, however, merely took advantage and began tying up the rest.</p>
<p>"Stop, I say! Stop! Stop! Stop!"</p>
<p>But the rebels didn't stop. It was as if they - "They can't hear me!" he exclaimed. "Those sneaky scoundrels! They've stuffed cotton into their ears!"</p>
<p>"I will deal with these criminals," Rogercop announced. He stormed out of the mayor's office.</p>
<p>Minutes passed as the mayor waited in expectant silence. Surely those miscreants wouldn't be able to take on his chief enforcer. Yet there came no sound of fighting. No doubt Rogercop was dealing with them most effectively. And yet, Malediktator couldn't help but twist his sash back and forth in his hands. Or compulsively wipe away the sweat that was collecting at his brow. </p>
<p>Paris would not fall. Could not. It just couldn't be possible.</p>
<p>In the distance, he heard a scream that could not be mistaken for anything other than a war cry. He gulped. </p>
<p>Hopefully, they wouldn't find the guillotine in the basement. It was dull and rusty, and would not cut cleanly.</p>
<p>#</p>
<p>"Stop! Stop! Stop!" Alya had her phone playing the recording of the mayor's voice on a loop at the highest volume setting her phone could produce.</p>
<p>She and Nino raced through the halls and up the stairs, Rose and Juleka with them. Every time they ran into another stooge, she stuck the recording in their face. The sound of the mayor's voice commanding them to stop retained its magical effect even through the recording, forcing any opposition to freeze impotently in their tracks. She had never been more thankful for the speech to text converter that had enabled her to interpret what the mayor had been screaming at them while they'd been fighting their way through the courtyard.</p>
<p>Alya reached the third floor and paused. She fired a text to Nathanael: Alpha Team in position. Take down in one minute.</p>
<p>Responding text: Louvre secured. Bravo team bugging out. Good luck. See you on the other side.</p>
<p>Alya smiled. Being a part of history was so much better than recording it.</p>
<p>She made a hand signal to her strike team to get ready. They were all carrying weapons of various kinds, though it wasn't immediately obvious for some. Rose held a perfume bottle and a lighter, while Juleka carried a super soaker filled with acid.</p>
<p>Even though they couldn't hear anything through the earplugs, they all screamed, "FOR LADYBUG!" as they flung open the door and charged through.</p>
<p>#</p>
<p>This can't be happening.</p>
<p>Hawk Moth stood in a state of numb shock as he watched Frozer hit a speed trap and go flying head first into a brick wall. Citizens rushed him en masse. There was a lot of screaming and flailing but soon they were destroying his skates and-</p>
<p>His mind blanked as he tried to process what he was seeing. They had captured his akuma in a glass jar which contained a frog. A frog which had promptly eaten his akuma.</p>
<p>A cheer rose up. "FOR LADYBUG! FOR PARIS!" They continued to cheer as they charged down the street in search of their next battle.</p>
<p>"We should retreat," Mayura said. "This battle is not going as predicted."</p>
<p>"Retreat?" Impossible. Hawk Moth was apoplectic with fury. How? How could this be happening? It was the fault of that Goddamned Marinette Dupain-Cheng. She'd given these people hope. She'd taught them how not to be afraid. How to fight back.</p>
<p>And now here he was, standing impotently on her terrace, her and her family nowhere in sight. He'd come here as soon as the first akumas struck. There was absolutely no reason for her not to be here. Her or her parents. It was as if they'd known somehow. As if they had anticipated... or predicted... a chill ran through him. How many miraculouses had there been in that box? What strange and otherworldly powers did Ladybug possess? What if she could control time? Probability? Reality?</p>
<p>"No," he whispered, "no, it can't be."</p>
<p>But there had been too many oddities. Too many coincidences. It was as if she had been one step ahead of him this whole time. Only he'd never been able to see it. There'd been nothing obvious. He'd come so close so often, Ladybug escaping by the skin of her teeth, that it had looked like... luck.</p>
<p>"FUCK!" he screamed, kicking a planter and sending it soaring over the railing and onto the ice covered street below.</p>
<p>He needed to retreat. He needed time to think. She couldn't be undefeatable. It wasn't possible. It couldn't be. All this time, all his effort - was it no more than a variation on the gambler's fallacy - a mistaken belief that events in the past could shape events in the future?</p>
<p>"She's not a God," he whispered. "I refuse to believe it." And then, speaking to Mayura, "Ready your sentimonster. We are retreating."</p>
<p>“Wait.” Mayura was tapping away frenetically at her fan, which she’d found a way to connect to the internet. “There’s a news report that Dupain-Cheng was admitted to Paris General… with a stab wound.” She seemed to tense with anticipation before confusion and burgeoning hope swirled in her eyes. “She was admitted after the cure was cast.”</p>
<p>“What?” That didn’t make any sense. A stab wound could only have come from Masamune. Yes, he recalled that very thing happening at Le Grand before he’d directed Masamune to pursue Lila. There’d been no way he was letting a sword wielding akuma threaten his son. He’d been so flabbergasted by the murder of the Rossi girl that every other news report had flown out of his mind.</p>
<p>“Focus, Hawk Moth,” Mayura said impatiently as she reverted her fan back to weapon mode. “Dupain-Cheng must have been using a miraculous when the cure was cast.”</p>
<p>He nodded, mind starting to chug faster and faster at the implications behind this revelation. “There were no other miraculouses in play that we know of.”</p>
<p>“Occam’s razor – she’s Ladybug.”</p>
<p>“Search every square of this building, Mayura. Tear it down to the foundations. Find me that miracle box.”</p>
<p>Giddy excitement welled up inside him. It still seemed too good to be true. Was he, even now, standing atop the miracle box? Could defeat turn to victory so easily?</p>
<p>Mayura had just slipped in through the girl’s skylight, and he was just about to follow when he sensed a determined presence approach from somewhere behind him.</p>
<p>“Creeping into a teenage girl’s bedroom at night, Hawk Moth? I wouldn’t have pegged you for the type.”</p>
<p>He turned to face his mortal enemy. </p>
<p>Ladybug had arrived.</p>
<p>#</p>
<p>I should’ve fucking teleported. Fuck, fuck, fuck, FUCK!</p>
<p>She wasn’t certain, but thought she’d seen Mayura slip into her bedroom.</p>
<p>“We need to take down Hawk Moth now,” she said quietly to Cat. Before Mayura found the miracle box. Before she had the chance to don another miraculous. Any one of them would be dangerous, but if she found Sass or Fluff, it would be a game changer.</p>
<p>She threw out her yoyo in a straight line toward Hawk Moth. One good strike would plough him through the wall, forcing Mayura out. For all she knew, Mayura was looking for Marinette, completely oblivious to the fact that she was in Ladybug’s bedroom. But then again, so much had happened this evening already, that there was every chance her enemies had deduced her identity.</p>
<p>Hawk Moth had clearly been ready for the attack. He lifted his cane to intercept, the yoyo glancing off the tip and sailing harmlessly past his shoulder.</p>
<p>“I’m no mere akuma, Ladybug. You’ll have to do better than that if you intend to defeat me.”</p>
<p>Melee it would have to be then. Cat leapt across the street alighting on the railing. He darted forward, baton raised. Ladybug took a moment to survey the environment. If Cat kept him occupied, maybe she could slip a surgical strike past his guard.</p>
<p>But even as she crept around the edges, waiting for a break in combat, she realized something was wrong. Hawk Moth was playing defensively. He was waiting for Mayura. But then she thought about all their other battles. Why fight alone when they could fight with a sentimonster at their back?</p>
<p>Ladybug shot her yoyo forward, suddenly desperate to finish the fight. She snagged his cane, but, unlike before, he wasn’t concerned at all.</p>
<p>“CAT, FINISH HIM NOW!”</p>
<p>An instant later, the ground exploded, pitching her off the side of the building.</p>
<p>Ladybug hit the roadway in a tumble. She threw her yoyo out without direction, praying it would catch on something, anything. It snagged, and she immediately transported herself thirty feet to bonk into a fire hydrant. A monstrous dark shape pounced on the spot she’d just occupied. It had the shape of a wolf except its body was covered in dense layers of spikes. Its eyes glowed like molten steel, and its mouth was filled with needle-sharp teeth. Six inch claws gouged through cement and asphalt with ease. And of course it was the size of an SUV.</p>
<p>"Say hello to Fenrir," Hawk Moth shouted. "The greatest sentimonster ever created! Au revoir, Ladybug!"</p>
<p>Hawk Moth and Mayura, two silhouettes against the city lights, disappeared into the dark. All thought of them fled as Cat Noir interposed himself between Fenrir and her. She spared one final thought for the miracle box before recalling her yoyo.</p>
<p>Cat leapt backward, tagging the sentimonster’s snout with his baton. There was a heavy clunk  on contact, but he may as well have hit Carapace’s shield for all the good it did.</p>
<p>“Retreat!” she called, yoyoing back up to Francoise Dupont.</p>
<p>She hit the roof and turned only to see Fenrir leaping powerfully on an intercept course for her partner.</p>
<p>“CAT!” She threw her yoyo out again, wrapping it around the beast. But instead of pulling it back down, she was whipped into the air, helplessly trailing after, as Fenrir’s jaws came down on Cat’s staff and legs with a crunch that reverberated through its body and through the yoyo right into her very bones.</p>
<p>Time seemed to slow as Cat’s scream echoed off the walls of the buildings.</p>
<p>No, no, no. He couldn’t be injured. Nothing could harm them in the suits. Hadn’t she just punched him through a concrete wall earlier that evening? They were nearly invulnerable. Nearly invulnerable. Nearly.</p>
<p>The next thing she knew, she was free falling. She hit the road again, her yoyo cast aside from nerveless fingers. She couldn't see. She couldn't breathe. She only knew she had to get to Cat. Had to do something. Anything. Combine the miraculouses, even. None of it mattered. She'd let the whole world burn if it meant saving the one she loved.</p>
<p>She scrambled to her feet, dimly aware that she should already have been attacked by now, aware that without her yoyo, she should be helpless. That she hadn’t been attacked should’ve concerned her. She stumbled to Cat’s side, dimly aware of the flicker of light from a battle somewhere up ahead. She couldn’t deal with that now. Cat needed her.</p>
<p>His legs were badly broken. Blood  was splattered everywhere.</p>
<p>"Cat!" she cried, falling to her knees. "Oh God, Cat! No."</p>
<p>This couldn't be happening. She’d tried so hard for months and months. How had it gone to hell so quickly? Had it been only a minute? She'd never seen such a fierce and devastating sentimonster attack in her life. How? How had this happened? It was supposed to have been her. She’d put herself in the spotlight. Had made herself a target. Not Cat. Never him. Her sweet kitty. Her crush. Tears sprang unbidden.</p>
<p>Adrien de-transformed in her arms, his kwami floating up. </p>
<p>"Get it together, Ladybug!" Plagg shouted at her. "You need to use the miraculous cure now! You've got seconds! Do it!"</p>
<p>She stared unblinking at the kwami of destruction before his words hit. The miraculous cure. Of course. She threw her yoyo into the air and screamed, "Miraculous ladybug!"</p>
<p>Ladybugs swarmed once more over the city. She watched in a state of suspended terror as Adrien's wounds disappeared, leaving him pristine once more.</p>
<p>"Adrien!" she shouted, shaking his shoulder. "Adrien, please wake up!"</p>
<p>A rumble reverberated through the road. She looked up wildly in search of the sentimonster. Lights bloomed in the distance, and Fenrir roared from far away.</p>
<p>"What... what's happening?" she asked.</p>
<p>Her mind kept stalling as she tried to connect the dots. Fenrir had maimed Adrien and then just... left.</p>
<p>"Ladybug?" Adrien's voice pulled her attention back to him.</p>
<p>"Adrien!" she shrieked. She leaned down and scooped him into her arms. "Oh my Adrien!" Tears sprung from her eyes. "Oh God, I thought I lost you. Never ever do that again. Do you hear me? You never ever do that again."</p>
<p>"Do what?" he asked bewildered. "I was just trying to get away from the monster."</p>
<p>"never get hurt, you dummy." She sniffled. "I just found you. All these months. All these years. And I have you for the first time tonight, and then you go and nearly die on me? You're going to be in so much trouble, kitty."</p>
<p>"I'm sorry, bugaboo."</p>
<p>She pulled away from him and fixed him with an intense stare.</p>
<p>"Uh," he said, going over his words. "Oh, sorry, I know you don't like being called bugaboo-"</p>
<p>She kissed him. Hard.</p>
<p>When she pulled back, they were both panting heavily.</p>
<p>"What - what was that for?" he asked.</p>
<p>"It actually kind of turns me on when Adrien says it," she admitted shyly.</p>
<p>His befuddled expression was so cute. With the certainty that he was now safe, all the collected terror over the past five minutes suddenly transmuted to happiness. She began to snicker. "You look so cute when you're confused."</p>
<p>Before they could say anything else, a shadow fell over them. They both looked up to see a costumed figure standing in front of them.</p>
<p>"Hmph," Plagg exclaimed. "Took you slowpokes enough time."</p>
<p>"Huh?"</p>
<p>The figure de-transformed to reveal-</p>
<p>"Henry!" Ladybug de-transformed, letting Tikki wearily sink to the ground.</p>
<p>Marinette leapt up and hugged him. "Oh my God, you're safe!"</p>
<p>"The order of the guardians is not so easily defeated," he said, hugging her back. "I am sorry it has taken so long for us to make contact. There was much that needed doing to restore order and negotiate with the government to reach a compromise."</p>
<p>"I saw those soldiers on the internet-"</p>
<p>"They had come to guard us-" he said. "The entire affair was a grave misunderstanding. Someone higher up in the government held a miraculous which was able to sense your arrival. They believed it was Hawk Moth and took steps to safeguard the remaining miraculous."</p>
<p>"Uh, hello?" Adrien picked himself up.</p>
<p>"Plagg, Tikki," Marinette said. "Maybe you guys can go to the bakery and see if you can salvage some food. Come back as soon as you can. And take Henry's kwami too. And check for the other miraculouses."</p>
<p>The three zoomed away.</p>
<p>"Is that safe?" Adrien asked, looking around for any sign of danger.</p>
<p>"I assume you brought reinforcements?"</p>
<p>Henry nodded. "Many. My fellow guardians are battling the sentimonster now."</p>
<p>"You saved our lives," she said, hugging him again. "I can't thank you enough, Henry. If you hadn’t distracted Fenrir, it would’ve gotten me too.” She glanced at Adrien to reassure herself he was really fine. “Before I would’ve been able to cast the cure.”</p>
<p>"I have no idea who you are," Adrien said, coming forward and hugging him. "But I get the gist. Thank you for coming to our rescue."</p>
<p>"No problem." He pulled back. "The others are rounding up the remaining akuma and handling the sentimonster. But Hawk Moth and Mayura are escaping."</p>
<p>She needed to go after them. If they had the miraculouses, if they knew her identity… she glanced hesitantly in the direction of Agreste Manor. They would already be entrenched within its walls by now. They were difficult adversaries on their own, but with the manor’s defenses, it would be a lost cause. And that was assuming she was even right and that Gabriel Agreste was Hawk Moth. And how could she direct Cat Noir to Agreste Manor without having that whole long conversation about her suspicions? She rubbed her temples wearily.</p>
<p>“We can’t,” she said reluctantly. Perhaps if she could rally the Order of the Guardians, then maybe they could return in a few hours.</p>
<p>Henry smiled. "But if you knew what my miraculous power was, you would not say that... for mine is the power to give others a second chance. Now, the only question remains is, are you prepared to finish this once and for all?"</p>
<p>She was. She wanted this over with, and she still had a second miraculous. They could do this. But then again, could she when she suspected Adrien’s father? Was she supposed to go in there and act surprised? Was she supposed to start their relationship with yet another lie?</p>
<p>She turned to Adrien.  "I'm only doing this if you're with me one hundred percent."</p>
<p>“I’m ready.”</p>
<p>She took a deep breath. “Even if Hawk Moth is your father?”</p>
<p>The question seemed to sweep over Adrien like a wave. He frowned and looked away. “Do you actually know that it’s him?”</p>
<p>“A strong suspicion,” she said. “I’ve been hunting for Hawk Moth during the last several akuma attacks. I’ve searched everywhere except the manor.”</p>
<p>He reached over and grasped her hand. He then took a deep breath and, in a determined voice, said, “You and me against the world. I'll fight for you. I'll die for you. Marinette, I'm ready."</p>
<p>She raised a hand and cupped his cheek, holding him in place so he could see the boundless love she had for him in her eyes. "Promise me you'll live for me, chaton."</p>
<p>He gulped, his eyes smoldering in response. "I... promise, m'lady."</p>
<p>"Then let's do this."</p>
<p>The kwamis came back. The look in Tikki’s eyes told her everything she needed to know. Hawk Moth had the miracle box. But it didn’t matter. Not if she could intercept them en route to their home base. A fledgling hope germinated inside… but that this nightmare, which had gone on for more than two years now,  could end tonight.</p>
<p>"How about you, Tikki? Are You ready?"</p>
<p>Tikki cracked her back and floated up to Marinette. "I was born ready, Marinette."</p>
<p>Marinette drew out a blue macaron and popped it in her kwami’s mouth. Tikki, for her part, looked thoughtful as she munched.</p>
<p>“I take it you’ll be enacting counter-offensive 327?”</p>
<p>“Operation Snowbird,” Marinette affirmed. “There’s a reason why I’ve kept Kaalki close all these months. Just in case an opportunity like this shows up.”</p>
<p>"Then let’s finish this, Marinette.”</p>
<p>“Stalac Tikki, spots on!"</p>
<p>"Plagg, claws out!"</p>
<p>"Soss, slither sideways!"</p>
<p>#</p>
<p>The gates of Agreste Manor were just visible in the distance.</p>
<p>"We don’t stop until we’re in our lair. The moment we arrive, I want the defenses activated.”</p>
<p>It’d physically pained him to leave behind the two miraculouses he needed, especially when his enemies were already on the back foot, but he wasn’t making the same mistake twice. He’d been so certain of victory with Miracle Queen too, and the whole sad mess had backfired on him spectacularly. Not this time. He would learn about all these new powers at his leisure, and only then would he return with a vengeance to stomp Ladybug and Cat Noir into the ground. Soon, no one would be able to stop him.</p>
<p>He and Mayura landed atop a shed tucked away deep on the grounds of the estate. Massive trees of pine, cedar and spruce rose around it, occluding the shed from view. Conifers, in his opinion, were aesthetically unattractive, but he preferred the year-round privacy they afforded.</p>
<p>He leapt ahead, only for a startled cry to pull his attention backward.</p>
<p>"Mayura!" he shouted. She was being yanked through the air by the cord of a yoyo. The miracle box, a dark shape barely visible against the snow-capped branches, sailed from her hands and into the trees. For a second, he froze, as he realized the gravity of the situation. He was all but outed to Ladybug. There shouldn't have been any way for her to have followed them unless she'd abandoned her partner outright. But as he leapt after Mayura, he was intercepted by none other than Cat Noir.</p>
<p>"Cat-ch you at a bad time?"</p>
<p>"ARRGH!" He swung his cane. Cat Noir deflected the blow and jabbed Hawk Moth in the stomach before somersaulting backward.</p>
<p>"You'll pay for this, Cat Noir." He couldn't see Mayura at all, nor could he hear her. That was troubling. Had Ladybug defeated her already? Was she even now biding her time, waiting to strike?</p>
<p>Cat dodged a flurry of attacks. "Well aren't you a grumpy cat this evening."</p>
<p>"You're nothing but a cat's paw, hero," sneered Hawk Moth. "Your ladybug has abandoned you to fend for yourself."</p>
<p>In the dark, it was hard to make out Cat Noir's expression, but it was clear his words were having some effect. "The truth hurts, doesn't it, Cat Noir? You're nothing to Ladybug. You're nothing period." He slammed his cane down, , causing dirt and grass to spray up in all directions as Cat backpedaled out of the way. "Look at you. You can barely even fight. You're not worthy of being called a superhero."</p>
<p>He smashed his cane into a tree, causing the base to shatter. The massive, hundred year old evergreen swung down, smashing into another tree, cracking that one before sliding down the trunk to hit the ground in a massive whump.</p>
<p>"Pathetic," Hawk Moth said. "What's the matter, Cat Noir? No witty come back? No silly puns? Are you finally taking this seriously?"</p>
<p>Cat Noir was perched on a branch about thirty feet away. He looked down at Hawk Moth with an unreadable expression.</p>
<p>Hawk Moth, for the first time, seemed to sense that something was wrong. "Well?" he demanded. "Have you nothing to say to the person that is going to destroy you?"</p>
<p>"How could you have become like this, father?"</p>
<p>#</p>
<p>Nathalie had watched the footage of Ladybug both using her yoyo to punch Cat Noir through a building, and to snap Lila's neck. She had a very healthy respect for that yoyo. So the moment she felt it wind around her neck, she relaxed her body and let herself be yanked into the air. She kept her mind focused, fan in hand, intending on turning the tables on this child, who would soon learn the folly of facing her in single combat.</p>
<p>the next thing she knew, she was assaulted by blinding light. The yoyo was gone, and in its place was a cold so deep that it burned. She spiraled to the ground, desperate to get her feet on something solid. The wind cut through her suit like knives.</p>
<p>"What - what's happening?" It'd been only a minute, but she was already losing feeling in her extremities.</p>
<p>Her thoughts cleared as the undeniable reality of her situation hammered away at her. She had been teleported somewhere cold. She looked around in all directions, but there was nothing but blinding light and a vast empty landscape of white save for one figure that stood about a hundred paces away. Ladybug. Ladybug, who stood straight and tall, and who did not appear to be affected by the cold at all.</p>
<p>She approached casually, the yoyo oscillating up and down in a rhythmic motion. She was walking the dog, Nathalie's mind supplied.</p>
<p>"The weather forecast for this region claims it's about forty below freezing," Ladybug called, stopping about twenty paces away. "You have two choices, Mayura. You can hand over your miraculous, in which case I will return you to Paris. Or you can die out here, in which case I will take your miraculous off your corpse."</p>
<p>"You wouldn't!" Mayura called back. The burning sensation on her skin was giving way to numbness. Frostbite was setting in. The suit provided some magical protection against cold, but not against these temperatures. Not for long.</p>
<p>Ladybug took a moment before responding. In a light, conversational tone, she said, "You know very well I am prepared to kill, Madame Sancoeur. The only reason I am giving you a choice is for Adrien's sake. Personally, I won’t lose sleep over your death."</p>
<p>She’d already lost. They both knew it. Yet the reference to Adrien was like a snowball to the face. It was the last straw. Her strength sapped, and with numb fingers, she removed the broach and threw it in Ladybug's direction. She closed her eyes, suddenly weary. Weary enough that she didn't care about the sudden biting cold that hit her when she de-transformed. Didn't care about the string that wound around her entire body. Didn't care if Ladybug killed her here, or let her freeze to death, or returned her to Paris. When next she opened her eyes, she was in a hospital.</p>
<p>#</p>
<p>At first, Adrien hadn't intended to reveal his identity to Hawk Moth. But the more Hawk Moth spoke, the more he heard Gabriel Agreste in the man's voice. The more he heard the timbre and pitch, the tone and inflection. Even the words and the style of criticism. It was as if he were being scolded while sitting in front of his father's desk in the study, rather than out here in a gladiatorial death match. The words were different, but the tone, attitude and meaning were all the same.</p>
<p>Ladybug had warned Cat to play defensive. To let her deal with Mayura first and then let her come back so they could tag team Hawk Moth. So he'd been doing that. And it would have been okay, if Hawk Moth hadn't been speaking. Hadn't been saying those awful things... using words to cut him down. Just the way Gabriel Agreste used words to cut down the people around him. To cut Adrien down.</p>
<p>"I don't believe you," said Hawk Moth. "You're just saying that to trick me."</p>
<p>But Adrien could tell from the tone in Hawk Moth's voice. From the shift in his stance. the look in his eyes. His father was doing what Marinette had done. What her parents had done. What he had done when he'd found out about Ladybug. He was mentally reviewing everything he knew, rearranging the links in his chain of understanding to see if it could accommodate this new fact.</p>
<p>"Son," he said tentatively. It looked like he wanted to say more, but he didn't.</p>
<p>"Stand down, father, and hand over your miraculous." The moment Adrien said it, he knew his father wasn't going to accede.</p>
<p>"So that's it, is it?" The venom and hate reasserted itself as quick as lightning. "Everything I've done has been for our family. The only one who should be handing over his miraculous is you. After you've helped me to secure Ladybug's."</p>
<p>"I'm not going to do that."</p>
<p>"She's poisoned your mind, Adrien," Hawk Moth said, his voice softening to a wheedling tone. "The kwamis are lying. They're all tricking you, Adrien. I thought I had raised you better than that. Use your own mind. Your own judgment. What have they offered you? Love? Affection? Empty words and gestures designed to wrap you in chains you cannot see."</p>
<p>He'd braced himself for this. Had expected it. In the few minutes it took to chase Hawk Moth down, he’d replayed all the awful things that Hawk Moth had done. Yet tears still seeped from the corners of his eyes. The worst part was that he didn't know if this was how his father really felt, or if it was just an act to dupe him.</p>
<p>"Adrien," his father cried, his words turning desperate, "Your mother is alive. Emilie is alive, Adrien. I know we can't bring back the dead. But to revive her - that we can do. All we need is Ladybug's miraculous. If you don't help me to get it, then you're as good as murdering her-"</p>
<p>"Stop it!" he shouted. "Just stop!"</p>
<p>"Come with me, Adrien," Hawk Moth coaxed. "I will show you the chamber where she now resides in an eternal sleep. Let me show you that I am telling you the truth. Your mother is alive. Hate me if you must, but don't turn your back on her."</p>
<p>Hawk Moth's words pounded inside his head. He tried to fix Ladybug in his mind – a talisman against the tide of negativity being spewed by his father. He tried to imagine every line, every curve of her body. He focused on the shine of happiness in her eyes from all the times they’d hugged and kissed and laughed. Giving in now was betraying his lady. But his mother. For her to be alive. The very idea of it was a drug he never knew he craved. It infused itself through his skin and into his blood. It worked its way through his nerves, his thoughts, his feelings. His father was crazy, sure. His father had to be stopped, definitely. But if there was even a single scintilla of truth in there. A reason for all this violence and terror. If it were to save his mother who was alive but in a coma, then how could he just ignore that? How could anyone ask that of him?</p>
<p>"Cat Noir!" Ladybug shouted from off to the side. he sensed the passage of the yoyo over his head, watched as a dark butterfly, barely visible even to his enhanced senses, get sucked away into Ladybug's purifying light. A moment later, he watched, transfixed, as she leapt next to him and opened up her  yoyo, a single white butterfly fluttering out. he snatched it out of midair, careful not to harm it. He held it for a second, making sure it was real before letting it flutter into the darkness. Her costume had changed, the spots having been reshaped into feathers.</p>
<p>"YOU'VE INTERFERED FOR THE LAST TIME, LADYBUG!" Hawk Moth lunged forward, smashing his cane against the tree Cat was perched on.</p>
<p>They leapt away, Cat to another tree and Ladybug entirely out of sight.</p>
<p>"COME BACK HERE!" Hawk Moth roared. "COME BACK HERE AND FIGHT ME, LADYBUG!"</p>
<p>He smashed another tree with his cane.</p>
<p>I can't fight him, Cat thought as his father continued to rage below. I just can't. I guess you're right, father. I truly am pathetic.</p>
<p>Motion glimmered out of the darkness. It was a white butterfly. First one, then two, then they came by the dozen. All of them fluttered toward Hawk Moth. He ignored them at first, but then they started plastering themselves to him, their delicate wings flattening against every exposed inch of his body.</p>
<p>"What - what is this?" His angry exclamations were now tinged with confusion. He tried to strike at them in midair, but they just fluttered around his cane. Those he did hit plastered themselves to his weapon, refusing to let go. "What - what power is this?"</p>
<p>At first, the butterflies seemed to have no effect, but as they piled on, Hawk Moth's movements grew slower and clumsier. </p>
<p>"Get them off me!" he raged. He smashed another tree. This one nearly crushed him as it came down, as he was so much slower now in dodging. And still more butterflies came. Soon, he was covered from head to toe in white butterflies. Everything save for his mouth and eyes.</p>
<p>"ARGH!" The cane fell from his nerveless fingers. He staggered in Adrien's direction several steps before falling to his knees. "This is not over. Not.. by... a... long... shot." His last words came out in gasps.</p>
<p>Ladybug landed next to him, crouching and watching the scene with sadness. "I'm sorry you have to see this."</p>
<p>"What are the butterflies doing to him?" Despite everything, it was still his father down there, and he feared that the man had become yet another victim to one of Ladybug's brutal plans.</p>
<p>"Sentibeings," she replied softly. "They're heavier than they look."</p>
<p>She reached over and clasped his hands. "I'm sorry. I thought it would be less cruel. I thought he wouldn't struggle so much."</p>
<p>Down below, Hawk Moth continued to fight against the bonds that held him down, his rage an unceasing well of energy. On the horizon, the first rays of dawn began to shine.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0009"><h2>9. Epilogue</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>"Don't be bemused. It's just the news. Live tonight we have with us Alya Césaire, publisher of the Ladyblog and one of the leaders of the resistance against the akuma during what many are now calling, the Night of the Miraculous." Nadja turned to Alya and said, "Thank you for participating in this interview, Alya."</p>
<p>"It's no problem, Nadja," Alya replied, getting herself comfortable in the studio chair. "I'm not normally the interviewee so this is a new and exciting experience for me."</p>
<p>"Well it's not normal for journalists to step into the action, though I think I can say on behalf of Paris that we are all grateful for your contribution, and the contribution of the many other Parisians in keeping the people of Paris safe. And on that note, let's dive right in and ask the question that has been burning on everyone's tongues. Is the fight against Hawk Moth and his evil akumas over?"</p>
<p>"Yes," said Alya with absolute confidence.</p>
<p>Nadja seemed to pick up on that, jumping in with, "How do you know?"</p>
<p>"Ladybug approached me the next day," said Alya. "She showed me the butterfly and peacock miraculouses and told me that Hawk Moth and Mayura had both been defeated."</p>
<p>"You met with Ladybug?" Nadja could not hide the surprise in her voice. She unconsciously leaned forward, as many viewing likely did.</p>
<p>"Yes," Alya said simply and waited for the next question.</p>
<p>"Did she say anything else?"</p>
<p>"She and Cat Noir are retiring," Alya went on. "She said that their job was done and that the supernatural threats to Paris have come to an end. They will only return should another such threat arise in the future."</p>
<p>Alya could see Nadja's mind zinging like lightning as she formulated questions. Of course, there was actually a teleprompter behind the camera with a team of people flashing notes and commentary, and, of course, questions, so Nadja could make sure to hit hard. </p>
<p>"Did she mention Mademoiselle Rossi?"</p>
<p>Alya sighed. "She did, and I relayed what she told me to Officer Raincomprix. I don't really feel comfortable saying much more than that."</p>
<p>"What more can you say?"</p>
<p>"She made an offer to speak to the police directly and to the family of Lila Rossi privately to explain her actions. She will not be submitting herself to the custody of the police however."</p>
<p>"There has been a great deal of controversy surrounding the killing of Lila Rossi and Ladybug's involvement. Evidence has arisen that Ladybug and Lila Rossi had an adversarial relationship, and that they were both vying for Adrien Agreste's affections." Alya could tell she was reading off the teleprompter. She was certain Nadja would not have said that otherwise. "Any comment?"</p>
<p>Alya was both annoyed and relieved to have been asked this question, as it let her say her peace to the world. Hopefully, it would do something to ameliorate the rapidly growing anti-Ladybug sentiment. " The death of Lila Rossi had nothing to do with anything like that. Ladybug had a duty to protect Paris from Hawk Moth. She upheld that duty to the very best of her ability. Unfortunately, that resulted in Lila Rossi's death."</p>
<p>"Yes," Nadja said slowly, "but how? The murder of a teenage girl cannot possibly have anything to do with Hawk Moth's death. She wasn't even akumatized at the time. Unless Ladybug is suggesting that Lila Rossi was colluding with Hawk Moth."</p>
<p>"As I said, I am afraid I have to decline to answer that question."</p>
<p>"Do you know Ladybug's identity?"</p>
<p>It was fortunate that the sudden switch in topics was one that Alya had anticipated. She let nothing slip. "No. I don't believe anyone knows or will ever know. Ladybug feared that anyone she told would one day be akumatized, and so kept that information well hidden."</p>
<p>"Is there any truth to the rumor that she attends Francoise Dupont?" Nadja asked.</p>
<p>"I don't know if she does or not." Alya shrugged. "My guess is she does. I think the incident with Plant Queen points to it, and she always did respond very quickly to attacks around the school. Then again, it could have all been a complex ruse."</p>
<p>"I understand that you have been known to get very close to the action whenever an akuma attack arose. How did it feel to leave behind the camera and take a more active role in the fighting?"</p>
<p>The questions went on and on. For the first time, Alya appreciated how much the interview process felt like an interrogation, and she vowed to be a little nicer to her interviewees in the future. At least the ones that weren't scumbags.</p>
<p>An hour later, she was thanked for her participation and let off stage. She went straight to the bathroom to wash off the cosmetics. When she was scrubbed clean and her normal makeup was applied, she left. the halls of the studio were bustling despite the late hour. No doubt everyone was working overtime to cover all the exciting developments that occurred just three nights prior. Nino waited downstairs in the lobby.</p>
<p>"You survived the sharks?"</p>
<p>She gave him a hug and a kiss and said, "Yes. Everything's fine."</p>
<p>"Good." </p>
<p>Nothing more was said. Alya didn't trust the news team not to bug every square inch of the building. Nino brought the car around to the front while she waited on the street. As Alya was about to get inside, something moved in the corner of her eye. She looked up to the tops of the buildings. She could have sworn she saw two shapes leaping across the nearby rooftop. She smiled, imagining them laughing as they chased each other. They deserved a bit of happiness. Especially Marinette. </p>
<p>"Let's get out of here."</p>
<p>#</p>
<p>Marinette's fingers brushed against something tucked away at the far back beneath her chaise.</p>
<p>"Now what might you be?" she murmured as she coaxed the shoebox from its hidey hole. She pulled the lid off, only to pause. A younger  Adrien smiled up at her. She reached down and tentatively collected the stack of pictures. She sifted through them one by one, Adrien after Adrien smiling and winking at her in what now seemed a parody of the person she knew. With a touch of self-disgust, she dropped the bundle back into the shoebox, covered it, and slid it into the garbage pile. If she'd been in possession of the cat miraculous, she would've cataclysmed the whole thing.</p>
<p>Marinette finished going through her belongings, and was soon zipping up her suitcase. She surveyed her room one final time as she crawled down through the trap door. It looked old and tired and broken, and she couldn't imagine living here anymore. She wasn't even sure when it'd happened. It'd been a feeling that had been growing. A slow discomfort that was only noticed when one had the presence of mind to stop and look back at their life in hindsight.</p>
<p>Her parents were in the bakery yet again. When her mother saw her come down the stairs, she averted her gaze, fixating on the Christmas cookies she was cutting out of a sheet of dough.</p>
<p>Her father was in the back, his voice carrying through as he sang a familiar song.</p>
<p>"Marinette steeled herself for her final conversation with her parents as a resident of their house.</p>
<p>"I'm leaving."</p>
<p>Her mother tensed, but did not stop in her task of carefully extricating a gingerbread Christmas tree.</p>
<p>Marinette cleared her throat and continued. "I'll call when I settle in later today. I'll be back for Christmas. Me and Adrien both." Seeing that her mother still wasn't responding, she began to wonder if perhaps, truly deep down, she wasn't wanted here anymore. She remembered her mother's words that day she'd been akumatized: What happened to my little girl who loved sunshine and flowers?</p>
<p>The question had lodged itself like an arrow inside her heart, but she had not let herself feel it then. Only now, with the reality of Hawk Moth's defeat settling, did she turn to the damaged, tenuous relationship that remained with her parents. What did they think of her? She was a murderer. A liar. A manipulator. Did they fear her? Did she disgust them? Did they just not care anymore?</p>
<p>"If you want me to come, that is," she added. I will not cry, she told herself. I made my bed, and now I will lie in it.</p>
<p>Sabine looked up. Marinette was not surprised to see tears there. Crying seemed popular these days. Not a surprise. It seemed like there were lots of things to cry about.</p>
<p>"Of course we want you. And Adrien too."</p>
<p>"Then what's the matter, Maman?"</p>
<p>"You're leaving," she exclaimed. "You're only seventeen, Marinette."</p>
<p>"Adrien needs me."</p>
<p>"You told us that," Sabine said, returning to her cookies. Marinette did not take offence to this. They'd all learned to use baking as a means of helping them process their emotions.</p>
<p>"Yes?" She sensed there was some deeper meaning in her mother's words. Some hidden hurt she couldn't quite articulate.</p>
<p>What happened to my little girl who loved sunshine and flowers?</p>
<p>"Do I even know you anymore?" Sabine asked finally. "You've been lying to me for so long, Marinette." She stopped cutting out cookies, but didn't look at her. "Why couldn't you come to me?"</p>
<p>"The akumas-"</p>
<p>"I don't care about the akumas," she said. "We could have found a way around it. We could have taken precautions."</p>
<p>"No you couldn't," Marinette replied. She tried not to get agitated, but it was hard. "Our life was here in this bakery. You can't tell me you would have thrown all that away so your fifteen year old daughter could rampage around Paris fighting supervillains."</p>
<p>"You're right," she said, growing agitated with her. "The moment you got those powers - that's when you decided didn't you? It's those powers and those little monsters who've been whispering in your ear these past two years."</p>
<p>Marinette opened her mouth to protest, anger and indignation etching themselves into her thoughts and feelings, but she held back. She needed to hear this, and her mother needed to say it.</p>
<p>Her mother went on, "They filled your head with this nonsense about being a superhero. You were an impressionable young girl. You were vulnerable, Marinette. Don't you see? They took advantage of you. And they're still taking advantage of you. Did you ever ask what they really want? What do they gain from all of this?"</p>
<p>"That-" Marinette couldn't quite believe her ears. She'd thought many things; had envisioned every scenario possible when she finally confronted her mother. But not this.</p>
<p>Now that the dam had broken, her mother kept on going, inertia carrying all her pain out in a torrent. "I bet you confide in this Tikki, don't you? You and her must be very close. She is with you all the time. Every minute of every hour of every day. You could not hide anything from her even if you wanted to. And when you needed advice, when you needed a shoulder to cry on, or someone to talk to or help make you feel better or help you face your problems, it was always this Tikki you went to. And to me - to my face - it was just lies, lies, and more lies." She tossed the cookie down on the table in disgust. "All this time, I thought we were so close, but I didn't know you at all. All this time, you were slowly just... cutting us out of your life. And now that we have become aware of the lies, you are leaving."</p>
<p>"Maman, no!" The unfiltered anguish unleashed by her mother resonated through her like the whump of a cannon blast. Yet the accusations were not without merit. The kwamis had their own reasons for doing things. They were ancient beyond measure and utterly inhuman. The only answer she ever received about their motives was that humans were interesting -a kind of entertainment that let them pass the time in an otherwise humdrum existence. Maybe that was true, but then again, maybe it wasn't. Sometimes, she thought that they were too invested in humankind for that to truly be the answer.</p>
<p>"Would you have ever told us?" her mother asked. "And now, when we find out, the first thing you do is leave? You cannot even wait until after Christmas to run away?"</p>
<p>"I'm sorry," Marinette said in a small voice. "I'm sorry for growing up without you. If there's one thing I've learned through all of this, is that we can be more than one thing at a time." Bravely, she stepped around the kitchen counter and pulled her mother into an embrace, heedless of getting flour and dough on her clothes. "I am a superhero. It is true. But I am also your daughter. That has never changed, and it never will. I feel so blessed for being raised by you and Papa. I have gone my whole life filled with love and support. You have filled my heart with an inextinguishable fire - a love that burns eternal for all those out there who are in need. I could never thank you enough."</p>
<p>"Oh, Marinette." Her mother squeezed until Marinette's ribs creaked. "Please don't go. Just stay a few more days."</p>
<p>Marinette pulled back slightly so she could look into her mother's eyes. "Adrien needs me, Maman. I cannot be the person I am and simply leave him to his misery." She hesitated to speak the next, but she could see that it was going to take more than heartfelt words to repair her relationship with her parents. She had to start talking to them. Really talking. </p>
<p>"You know I defeated Hawk Moth and Mayura," she said quietly Taking a deep breath, she pressed on, "What you don't know is that Hawk Moth was Adrien's father. And Mayura was Nathalie Sancoeur, someone who was nearly a mother figure to Adrien. I do not regret what I did, but nothing changes the fact that I destroyed what little remained of his family in a single night." She looked away, absently brushing flour from her mother's collar. "I was not gentle with them, Maman. I am a... determined fighter. Nathalie suffered hypothermic shock. She has lost the use of several fingers and toes. And Adrien's father - I thought I was being gentle, but I don't know. His mind and body were damaged, and he has been moved to a home and is confined to a wheelchair."</p>
<p>"Maman," she went on, her voice growing thick with tears. "I'm sorry I can't be your little girl anymore. I truly am. But this is who I am now. I can only ask you to set aside any blame that is owed to me and to Adrien and to Tikki. I can only ask you to accept the girl who is in front of you. I will try to be more open with you."</p>
<p>Maman closed her eyes and seemed to gather herself. "I understand. Your father did not want me speaking of this at all to you. But I could not stop myself."</p>
<p>"I'm glad you did," Marinette said quickly. "Trust and communication."</p>
<p>Maman smiled wanly. "Trust and communication, ma petite." And then in a faintly hopeful tone, "Instead of you leaving, Adrien could come stay here. Marinette, you're only seventeen. It is not right."</p>
<p>Marinette took a step back, hands still raised. "Maman, I have made my choice. I love Adrien. I am going to spend the rest of my life with him. He is more than a friend. More than a boyfriend. More than a confidant and a partner. He is the sun to my moon. The earth to my sky. He is the very air I breathe. Tell me honestly, Maman. If he came here, would he not feel uncomfortable? Would he not feel like an intruder? Would our family not serve as a painful reminder of all that he has been denied?"</p>
<p>Her mother raised a hand and cupped Marinette's cheeks. "You have grown to be such an extraordinary young woman."</p>
<p>"I am who I am because of you." Marinette reached up and clasped her mother's hand in hers. "And there is something else you should know." Marinette recalled her very first encounter with Master Fu. She thought of her battle with Stoneheart, and her willingness to give up the ladybug miraculous because she believed someone else could be a better superhero.</p>
<p>"I did not become a superhero because of Tikki, or because of the magical superpowers, Maman." A lone tear slipped down her cheek. "I became a superhero because that is the kind of person you raised me to be."</p>
<p>#</p>
<p>Agreste Manor remained silent and forbidding as Marinette trundled up to the front gate. Thankfully it was open, and she was able to walk right inside to the front door. She still expected a camera to zoom out at her, or for Adrien's burly bodyguard to glare menacingly at her. But there was nothing but silence. She reached up to ring the doorbell, but, after a moment's contemplation, drew back. She was going to be living here, and it was time she acted like it.</p>
<p>"Tikki," she said, "Be a dear and open the door for me, would you?"</p>
<p>Tikki zoomed out from her purse. A moment later, the heavy, steel-reinforced door was swinging open. The air inside gusted warmly and invitingly, and she did not hesitate to slip in and shut out the cold and damp December air.</p>
<p>She had seldom been inside Agreste manor before, and During those times that she had, there were unusual circumstances which prevented her from truly appreciating it. At first glance, the space felt stately. The foyer was clearly designed in accordance with a theme that emphasized a pre-modern aesthetic, which tended to a more ornate classical look. But there were also touches of mid-century that served as accents and kept the space from feeling like a period piece. Italian marble, crystal chandelier, warm, darkly stained rosewood.</p>
<p>The more she studied it, however, the more something felt off. Something she couldn't quite put her finger on.</p>
<p>"Marinette," Tikki said, "you're stalling. Go and find Adrien."</p>
<p>"Uh? Oh, yeah. Of course." She shucked off her shoes and ghosted through the halls. Something about the place discouraged her from shouting out Adrien's name. Despite knowing that Gabriel Agreste was gone, a part of him lingered here. A part of Hawk Moth had, in some way, seeped into the slate and marble, lacquering over the finishes, diffusing slowly into the air like a ponderous miasma.</p>
<p>She found him in Gabriel's study. He was sat at the desk in the dark, the only illumination the light from the computer monitor, which cast ghostly shadows over his face. For a moment, she watched him from the doorway, careful not to disturb or startle him. Slowly though, she realized he was just staring at the screen, unmoving. She went over and stood behind him. He did not start at the touch of her fingers on his shoulders. On the screen was displayed a picture of his mother in a design reminiscent of the peacock outfit. And there, on her clothes, was the peacock miraculous itself.</p>
<p>"Every time I try to go through his things," he said, his voice cutting into the silence like a wound, "I run into something like this, and I just stop. Did I know either of my parents at all?"</p>
<p>Marinette couldn't help but snort. "That must be a universal truth."</p>
<p>He turned to look up over his shoulder at her.</p>
<p>"I just had a bit of an argument with my mother," she explained, a little embarrassed. "She thinks Tikki's evil and has destroyed my family."</p>
<p>"Tikki, evil?" His expression of befuddlement was adorable</p>
<p>"It's all part of Tikki's master plan, you see." She let out a little giggle.</p>
<p>"Yes, well, I need to introduce your mother to Plagg," he replied. "She might appreciate Tikki more after that."</p>
<p>"Plagg floated by. "did somebody mention me? My ears are burning."</p>
<p>Tikki took that moment to zoom up to Adrien and say hello. "I'm happy to finally meet you under more pleasant circumstances, Adrien," she chirped.</p>
<p>"Wow," he said, glancing slyly at Plagg. "Such a polite kwami. Can I get you anything to eat?"</p>
<p>"A cookie would be nice."</p>
<p>As they chatted, Marinette began to massage his shoulders. Between the banter and her ministrations, he seemed to be relaxing.</p>
<p>It still amazed her that she could be this familiar with Adrien. That she could put her fingers on his shoulders. That she'd kissed him already so many times without ever even having been aware that it was him. She remembered the Ladyblog party, and suddenly was blushing furiously. That had been Adrien she'd been with in Nino's parents' bedroom.</p>
<p>"Marinette?"</p>
<p>"Hmm?" She dragged her attention back to the handsome boy in front of her. Somewhere along the way, her fingers had drifted from his shoulders, and had moved onto his neck and hair.</p>
<p>"I was saying I don't want to get in the way of your relationship with your parents. I think you should maybe go back home and spend some time with them. They seemed pretty upset at the hospital, and I'm sure it must all be very overwhelming to have all this dumped on them all at once."</p>
<p>"It is," she said carefully. "I won't pretend it isn't."</p>
<p>He was looking up at her, his eyes guileless. There was nothing but open concern on his face, but she could also see the pain there. He'd learned how to hide it well, but she was a master of all things Adrien.</p>
<p>She swiveled his chair around and sat herself in his lap. Instinctively, his arms wrapped around her. She resumed running her fingers through his hair. "My life is with you, Adrien Agreste. For as long as you'll have me. My parents are going to have to accept that."</p>
<p>"None of that means you have to move out of your parents' home," he replied.</p>
<p>His words were not untrue. It wasn't as though she feared losing him if she weren't here to monitor him around the clock. Yet she had this inexplicable need to be near to him. She couldn't say where it came from. Maybe it was normal teenage hormones. Maybe her parents were right. Maybe being a superhero for more than two years running didn't justify leaving home at seventeen and moving in with a boy. But she couldn't imagine not doing it. Every fiber of her being vibrated with the need to be close to him. A bond had formed between them. A confusing, messy bond that made her head spin every time she tried to examine it. She could no more stay separated from him than she could breathe underwater.</p>
<p>"Um, Marinette?" his voice squeaked a little.</p>
<p>"yes, Adrien?"</p>
<p>"You're unbuttoning my shirt."</p>
<p>"So I am."</p>
<p>"We were talking-"</p>
<p>"Adrien," she said, turning his face up so that he was staring into her eyes. "Do you think I'm beautiful?"</p>
<p>"yes," he said instantly. "Of course."</p>
<p>"Well let me tell you something. When a beautiful girl comes to your home and sits on your lap and starts taking off your shirt, you don't tell her to go back to her parents' place. Not unless you really don’t want her here."</p>
<p>He seemed to think about this as she finished pulling off his shirt. She ran her fingers lightly over his chest, leaving goosebumps in their wake. For a moment, she seemed to lose herself in his presence. Her fingers seemed to want to memorize every curve of his toned and muscled chest. They ran down his pecs, and across his abs. They traced up his sides and around his back until she was leaning in close and hugging him. She took in his scent, and felt him take in hers. She tilted her head slightly so that her lips brushed against his earlobe.</p>
<p>"I want to be here, Adrien. I want to be with you. I've wrapped my whole life around you so much I can't imagine being anywhere else. I want you, Adrien."</p>
<p>"Marinette." The way he said her name, his breath tickling her neck was its own kind of drug. "I want you too."</p>
<p>She trailed kisses along his neck and jaw. Dimly, she was aware of his erection bulging up against her. "Then come and get me, kitten."</p>
<p>She twisted her hips, breaking his hold on her and leapt off him, his shirt balled in one hand. She ran for the door, stopping just outside. She glanced over her shoulder, casting him a come hither look. for a moment, he stared, stunned, before leaping to his feet and chasing after her.</p>
<p>She screamed and darted away just as his fingers brushed her back.</p>
<p>"She'll be good for him," Plagg said, floating up next to Tikki.</p>
<p>"Mmm," she replied.</p>
<p>Screams and shouts of laughter echoed through the house as the two continued to chase each other.</p>
<p>Wayzz extricated himself from the suitcase in the hall to join them. "My apologies for the intrusion," he began. "But is it wise to permit the holders to become so... entangled?"</p>
<p>Tikki seemed to mull over the question for a moment. "We cannot stop them," she said finally. "And in any case, it may be better to let them have this time together. After all, they will not be able to enjoy it for long."</p>
<p>"You're not giving them enough credit," said Plagg, though his voice was casual and full of disinterest, as though they were talking about something as banal as the weather.</p>
<p>"Every other Ladybug and Cat Noir throughout history have come to ruin," Wayzz said. "What makes you think these two are different?"</p>
<p>Plagg smiled, but there was no warmth in the expression. His eyes glowed with eldritch inner light. "Correct me if I'm wrong, Sugar Cube, but I do believe that your young charge has not used the power of the lucky charm in some time."</p>
<p>She nodded. "It is true."</p>
<p>This seemed to alarm Wayzz. "Does she suspect?" He wrung his little hands together. "We should tell the others."</p>
<p>"It will worry them needlessly," she said. "And she may pick up on their anxiety. She is very astute." After a moment's further contemplation, she added slowly, "No. We will not speak of the Terror. The mortal children will do what they do. Just as we will do what we have always done. It is in the nature of things."</p>
<p>From outside the study, the laughter and shouting and running of the two young lovers died down. They must have been nearby, because soft murmurs filled with love and affection could be heard through the open door.</p>
<p>"I love you, Adrien. Forever and ever."</p>
<p>Adrien murmured something in response, and then there were breathy sighs, as one could imagine them peppering each other with soft kisses.</p>
<p>Wayzz and Tikki exchanged a troubled glance, while Plagg just grinned.</p>
<p>#</p>
<p>"It's always the same dream. Sometimes there's little differences, like maybe I'm standing in a forest, or an open field, or my childhood home before we moved to Paris. I am standing still. At first, it is because I do not feel the need to move. But slowly, as the dream progresses, I begin to realize that I am unable to do so. The panic creeps on me slowly as the urge to get away grows and grows. Yet I cannot. No matter what, in all the dreams, I always remember the first rock that falls. It strikes the ground with a crash that startles me. Sometimes it falls beside me or behind me. I never see the first, but I know what it is. Then the second rock falls. And the third. Soon stones are raining all around me. I am terrified. I still cannot move, but I suddenly do not know if I want to. There always comes a point in the dream when I have an urge to look up, yet I never do for fear of seeing the rock that will finally strike me. When it comes, the feeling of weight on my head is sudden and sharp. And then... I feel it digging through my skull from the top. There is strangely no pain. Just a great pressure that threatens to force me to my knees, but I still never move. I cry, hoping for the feeling to end. I feel it when the rock begins to slice into my brain. There is still no pain. It is at this point that I wake up."</p>
<p>Kagami set her cup of tea down on the coffee table. Her hands had started to shake. This was the first time she'd ever spoken of the dreams, even though she had been coming to see Dr. Xiang for many weeks now.</p>
<p>"It is not uncommon for people to experience recurring nightmares. This is especially true for people who experience trauma." Dr. Xiang made a note on his clipboard. "I'd like for you to begin keeping a dream diary, Kagami. Don't just record the dreams that are important to you, but rather all of them. When it comes to this recurring nightmare, I encourage you to focus on the differences you see between each version."</p>
<p>Kagami listened. It remained uncomfortable being here, in a psychiatrist's office, talking about her thoughts and feelings. Her mother had only ever expressed disdain for psychiatry, feeling that it was a Western conceit - something for the weak of will. An excuse for people to avoid taking responsibility for their actions.</p>
<p>"May I ask what the purpose of the dream diary is?"</p>
<p>Dr. Xiang smiled sympathetically. "There are many theories regarding what dreams are. I think the most straightforward answer is that they are attempts for our mind to process information and ideas that are preoccupying us. To that extent, dreams can reveal aspects of ourselves that we may not be fully conscious of."</p>
<p>"I am afraid of having my skull crushed by a yoyo," said Kagami. "I thought the dream was rather obvious." Realizing how that sounded, Kagami hastened to add, "I do not mean to insult you."</p>
<p>"No insult taken," he said reassuringly. "However, I do not think you are giving yourself enough credit, Kagami. I think we both know that you are not in danger of having your skull crushed by a yoyo. Not anymore."</p>
<p>She looked away, her gaze drifting through his posh, expensive looking office to the large open window. Paris' downtown glistened in the cold February sun. Strange, she thought, how people could just go about their lives after everything that had happened, yet she remained stuck here living the same day over and over.</p>
<p>Soon, the appointment came to an end, and Kagami found herself drifting down the hall of the office building toward the elevator. All was silent save for the buzz of the lights overhead, the thick carpet beneath her feet sucking away even the sound of her footfalls.</p>
<p>The elevator dinged and opened to reveal an occupant inside.</p>
<p>"Monsieur Agreste," Kagami said, startled. She hesitated before stepping into the elevator.</p>
<p>She had had a vague awareness that Gabriel Agreste had become unwell around the time of the Night of the Miraculous. No one had explained the nature of his condition, or what exactly had happened. All she'd really gotten was that he'd stepped down from his position as director and shareholder of his company, transferring all assets to his son in the process. And all that had been from the news media and gossip columns. She had not spoken to Adrien since the Night of the Miraculous, having had refused all attempts by either him or Lady-</p>
<p>She pulled herself back to the present. Her hands were shaking. Why were her hands shaking? It was so hot in here. In this stuffy, cramped elevator, where she couldn't move. Why couldn't she move?</p>
<p>"A Tsurugi never suffers defeat."</p>
<p>The words jolted her gaze to the only other occupant in the small space. Monsieur Agreste, who was in a wheelchair was looking off to the side, not quite at her but not quite away. He was mumbling to himself.</p>
<p>"Monsieur Agreste?" she asked tentatively.</p>
<p>Is head jerked upward so sharply that Kagami took an instinctive step back. His gaze locked on her, fixing her in place. Something in his expression made her thoughts lock up. His face was older, as if, in the past two months, the skin was slowly detaching itself from the bone. As if he were sagging away, melting like the Wicked Witch of the West. Only it was happening in slow motion, one fold of skin at a time. And yet that was not all that disturbed her about him. His gaze was unfocused, but the rest of his expression looked as though he was concentrating. As if he could see but not see at the same time.</p>
<p>"A Tsurugi never shies from battle." His tone and inflection did not change. His voice was barely a whisper. But the words seemed to spread through her, making her skin shiver.</p>
<p>The elevator door opened, and bright light from the giant lobby windows shone into the dark interior. Kagami rushed out, feeling Monsieur Agreste's eyes on her as she went, though when she looked back, it seemed he was still staring off to the side where she had been standing. She had an urge to ask him if he were planning to come out of the elevator, but held back. The doors closed, and the elevator began to rise.</p>
<p>He's just riding the elevator up and down, she realized. Unless... he was waiting for me.</p>
<p>the feeling of being watched followed her all the way home, and a feeling of terror more powerful than anything she'd ever felt in her life gripped her. Yet when she finally closed the door behind her, the feeling dissipated so quickly she surely must have imagined it. she hurried to her room, ignoring the staff and avoiding her mother.</p>
<p>Bright wintry light flooded in through the sheers that covered the bright bay windows, illuminating her room with its familiar contents. Everything was as it should have been. Nothing was out of place. Fencing trophies. Neatly made bed with fine cotton sheets. Game console with Ultimate Mecha Strike 3. The tension bled from her until she was laughing at herself for having felt unsafe in the first place. And soon, even that feeling vanished.</p>
<p>Everything was fine. Nothing was wrong. Nothing at all.</p>
<p>With renewed energy, she sat down and grabbed the game controller. She began to play, working her avatar up to the hardest levels, dominating every adversary. Somewhere, deep in the back of her mind, words continued to resonate, a subsonic vibration to her thoughts. A Tsurugi never suffers defeat. A Tsurugi never shies from battle.</p>
<p>Kagami’s fingers worked of their own accord. Frenetically. Compulsively. She destroyed adversary after adversary, the glint in her eyes growing brighter than what could be accounted for by the light of the monitor. Only when she crushed the final boss in a devastating combo did the threads that guided her relax. A feeling of euphoria stole over her at her victory, and she sagged in relief.</p>
<p>The hum inside her head dissipated, and awareness fully returned. She looked around. What had she been thinking? What had she been doing? Oh right, she’d just gotten caught up in the game. Nothing unusual there. She’d always been very competitive. Sated from her victory, she shut the console off and let her mind slip into a post-victory bliss.</p>
<p>Meanwhile, the same mantra continued to beat ceaselessly, like a heartbeat, in the back of her skull. Everything was fine. Nothing was wrong. Nothing at all.</p>
<p>The End</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Hi all,</p>
<p>thank you to everyone who has left a kudos or a comment. Every single one is appreciated. This is my first ML story, and I had a lot of fun writing it. I was bursting with thoughts after watching Miracle Queen and this fic was the result. I hope the ending satisfies, and that the loose threads don't make the story feel incomplete.</p>
<p>I'm kind of on the fence about a sequel, but if people do want it, then I can give it a shot. I do have ideas for some ML fics unrelated to this one so there will be more content from me in the future regardless.</p>
<p>All the best,</p>
<p>IM</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
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